The Candidates’ Stances on a Cluster Bomb Ban
Obama—for; McCain—against

The only recorded vote on U.S. cluster bomb policy took place in the Senate in 2006, when Senators Diane Feinstein and Patrick Leahy offered an amendment to a military spending bill that would have prevented funds from being spent on the purchase, use or transfer of cluster munitions unless the Defense Department ensured that the weapons would not be used in or near civilian areas. The amendment was rejected by a vote of 30-70 . Barack Obama voted for the amendment (i.e., against the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas), while John McCain voted against the amendment. (Congress currently bans cluster bomb exports, but no vote was taken on that measure.)

In September of this year, Senator Obama’s campaign released a statement reiterating his record of support in the Senate for protecting civilians from cluster bombs and landmines. Arms Control Today published Senator Obama’s responses to a survey on arms control, in which the Senator suggested that he supported U.S. participation in a ban on cluster munitions. Senator McCain’s campaign did not reply to the survey.

Neither presidential candidate has endorsed the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 594).