Obama supports abortion rights and strongly disagreed with the 2007 Supreme Court ruling upholding a federal ban on “partial birth” abortion. He also achieved a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America in both 2005 and 2006.

Obama believes we must strengthen literacy, math, and science skills to meet the demand for a skilled workforce and retain and grow jobs in the next century.  He believes No Child Left Behind needs reform, and he would expand early childhood education, improve educator quality and salaries, increase federal college aid, and work to increase the representation of minorities and women in the science and technology fields.

Obama voted against offshore drilling and has supported full funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which funds water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. He pledges to establish policies to conserve national parks and forests, improve the quality of our nation's air and water, and develop partnerships to reduce environmental toxins, such as lead and mercury. 

Obama believes improving energy efficiency is the fastest, most cost-effective method to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He intends to make the United States a leader in the global effort to combat climate change by leading a new international global warming partnership.

Obama wants to construct a new national health program that does not allow anyone to be turned away, allows individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health care, and provides subsidies on premiums for low-income individuals.  Obama says his plan will save a typical American family up to $2,500 a year, improve access to preventive care, improve health information technology, and reduce costs. 

As Senator, Obama is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.  He introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security, enhance disaster preparedness, and require evacuation plans for people with special needs.

Obama supported Bush’s immigration reform legislation, which would have improved border security, required enforcement of existing laws, and provided a legal path to citizenship for some immigrants. He also voted to authorize construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. Obama wants a solution that secures the border, enforces the laws, gives undocumented immigrants an opportunity to become citizens, and both provides employers with a worker eligibility verification system and penalizes employers that hire undocumented workers. 

While Obama opposes same-sex marriage, he also opposes a constitutional ban.  He does support civil unions.

Obama believes Social Security can be protected and strengthened and opposes Bush’s plan allowing workers to divert some Social Security payroll taxes into private retirement accounts. He wants to make sure seniors have retirement security with high-quality health care and plans to eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000.  Obama co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, which would ensure the Social Security benefits of public employees, including teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

Obama is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has fought to strengthen America's position in the world, including working to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and stopping the genocide in Darfur. He believes America must lead the world by example and end the war in Iraq to refocus on the challenges in the region, rebuild and transform the military, renew alliances and partnerships necessary to meet global challenges, and strengthen impoverished countries.

Obama consistently opposed use of military force in Iraq, opposed Bush’s plan to send additional troops to Iraq, and voted for a war spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. Obama’s plan for Iraq includes a withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations to be completed by the end of next year, a new constitutional convention in Iraq, and steps to provide humanitarian relief.