With one day left before Election Day, the United States is close to a shift in leadership in the office. With many Westview seniors being able to vote, it is important that they know the policies of the candidates.
While the two largest parties to vote for are Democrat and Republican, there is still always the option to vote third party. You can look more into these parties at this link here.
This will be focused on the policies and work of Democratic representative Kamala Harris and Republican representative Donald Trump. All information comes directly from their websites and the BBC.
Economy
Harris plans to expand the Child Tax Credit up to $3,600 per child and introduce a new $6,000 tax cut that middle to low-income families would get for the first year of their child’s life. She also plans to introduce a federal ban on price gouging in efforts to keep grocery prices low in times of crisis as seen in North Carolina, New York, and Florida. She will use the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit in place to supply more than 1.2 million new homes by expanding it. This is also stated to be in efforts to decrease housing prices by adding more housing to the market.
Trump’s plan states that “Trump Tax Cuts” and the “Jobs Act” will become permanent under his leadership, expand the Child Tax Credit, eliminate taxes on tips, repeal the green energy tax credits, and add more Tax Cuts. He plans to lower energy costs by oil drilling in areas that have been restricted from drilling, like the Artic wilderness. Trump’s statement on making America more affordable on his plan says, “Republicans will reduce the Regulatory burden, lower Energy costs, and promote Economic Policies that drive down the cost of living and prices for everyday goods and services.” He plans to reinstate Deregulation Policies.
Women’s Healthcare
Harris’s campaign has had continuous support of women’s choice when it comes to their body. She plans to sign a bill that will restore reproductive freedoms to the United States and close off the possibility of another national abortion ban.
Trump, according to the BBC and his website, has repeated on many occasions that each state should be able to decide individually what their laws on abortion are. During the presidential debate, he did state that he would not sign a national abortion ban into law. There is a section about empowering American families that states, “Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundation role of families, and supports working parents. We will end policies that punish families.”
Healthcare
Harris’s stance on healthcare continues to attack access and cost. As President, she plans on continuing the “expanding and strengthening the Affordable Care Act and making permanent the Biden-Harris tax credit enhancements that are lowering health care premiums by an average of about $800 a year for millions of Americans.” In her plan she also states that she plans to continue the use of the Biden-Harris Administration plan on “bringing down the cost of lifesaving prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries by extending the $35 cap on insulin and $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending for seniors to all Americans.”
Trump’s plan states, “Republicans will increase Transparency, promote Choice and Competition, and expand access to new Affordable Healthcare and prescription drug options. We will protect Medicare, and ensure Seniors receive the care they need without being burdened by excessive costs.” He does address gender affirming care, stating that he will “ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden’s radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, […].”
Education
Harris states in her plan that “She (Harris) will also strengthen public education and training as a pathway to the middle class.” In her time as Vice President, she worked to provide almost 5 million students nearly $170 billion in student debt relief, according to her website. Harris plans to work on making higher education “more affordable” and to minimize student loan debt. Many of her ideas on education tend to be about lowering costs and opening opportunities up for many to receive an education.
Former President Trump has stated in his plan that “We are going to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. and send it back to the States, where it belongs, and let the States run our education system as it should be run.” With public education going to the states, there is a higher chance of these schools being defunded due to another part of his plan. “We will defund schools that engage in inappropriate political indoctrination of our children using Federal Taxpayer Dollars.” This is in reference to critical race theory and gender theory, according to his website. His plan also says he will fund proven career training programs, adopt Merit pay for educators, expand 529 education savings accounts and equally support families who homeschool.
Environmental Issues
Harris’s plan says that she will build onto the Inflation Reduction Act to invest in clean energy and lower household energy costs. Her policy document talks about protecting public lands and health. According to the BBC, she said she is “in favor of banning fracking” in 2019.
Trump’s plan talks about lifting restrictions on American Energy Production and terminating the “Socialist Green New Deal” in attempts to the become the “Number One Producer of Oil and Natural Gas in the World.” He has a continuous stance that he wants the United States to be dependent on itself and that comes down to our energy sources.
Mexico-United States Border
Harris supports the bipartisan border security bill (S.4361), as stated on her website. This bill would have $120 billion to use for border funding and foreign support. It would also mean the government could shut down the border when migrant crossings hit 4,000 per week and asylum officers would have the ability to judge certain asylum claims, increasing the authority of people who can deport migrants. On her website, she states that she will bring back this denied bill and sign it into law. Along with her statement about re-signing the bill she acknowledges the immigration system itself, “She (Harris) knows that our immigration system is broken and needs comprehensive reform that includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”
Trump has had his plan to close the border by building a wall and increasing the security since his initial presidential campaign in 2016. Trump’s plan states that in his presidency he will “Invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States, ending the scourge of illegal Alien gang violence once and for all.” Trump’s stance on immigration stands as absolutely no illegal immigration. “Republicans will strengthen ICE, increase penalties for illegal entry and overstaying Visas, and reinstate “Remain in Mexico” and other Policies that helped reduce illegal immigration by historic lows in President Trump’s first term.” As for sanctuary cities, Trump’s web says that federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions will be cut. He also plans to introduce a Merit-based immigration system so only those who contribute to America and do not “become a drain on Public Resources” can be admitted.
Conclusion
Your vote depends most on who you feel will accomplish the things you would like to see for this country. All information from this article is directly from their presidential plans on their websites and the BBC. No information has been verified from other sources.
This guide is a simplified overview of Harris’ and Trump’s political campaigns for this upcoming election and does not hit all of the topics these candidates talk about. You can read both of these candidates plans’ in full here, 2024 GOP Platform Make America Great Again! and A New Way Forward For The Middle Class. They can also be found on the candidates’ official websites.
Kamala Harris: https://kamalaharris.com/
Donald Trump: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/