By Brooke Pan (VI) and Zara Jacob (VI)
All eyes are fixed on the big screens as Election Day is less than a week away. In what is predicted to be the largest voter turnout percentage compared to the past 50 years, roughly 90 million Americans have already voted and 45 million more are projected to vote before or on Election Day. The final decision comes down to the swing states: Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, and a few others. Americans are voicing their political stances now more than ever, and they’re doing that through the ballots. To stay updated with the most recent polls, click here. Let’s look into the most dividing policies between the two candidates and their respective stances:
Economy
Biden plans to spend $700 billion dollar to increase demand for US-based goods and technological research and development. This plan is centered on American jobs and manufacturing. The money for this economic plan would come from the reversal of corporate tax cuts. He also seeks to increase minimum wage to $15 and provide 12 weeks of paid family sick leave.
Prior to the pandemic, America had low unemployment rates and significant economic growth under the Trump presidency. Trump attributes that prior success of the economy to the tax cuts and tax reforms he instituted. Trump points to the economy in his first three years as proof of what he will do in the next four years. He is in support of continuing to reopen the economy.
Healthcare
Biden will protect and build on the Affordable Care Act which currently offers protection for those with pre-existing conditions. He positions himself as more moderate on this issue in comparison to more progressive Democrats calling for a single-choice healthcare plan funded by the government.
Trump has stated he will repeal ACA and replace it with a better option that will lower prescription drug costs, provide quality, affordable healthcare for everyone, and allow consumers to have more choice. He has supported major aspects of a lawsuit currently in the Supreme Court that seeks to invalidate the ACA. Just over a month ago, Trump released the America First Healthcare Plan through an executive order which he assures will protect those with pre-existing conditions if ACA is struck down in court. However, this legislation has yet to pass in Congress.
You can find more in-depth analysis of both candidates’ health care policy here.
Taxes
Biden will increase taxes for corporations and the wealthy to fund his expansive social programs. He maintains that middle-class households will not face tax increases; rather, the tax increases will be for corporations and households making more than four hundred thousand dollars per year.
Trump will build on his landmark 2017 legislation supporting major tax cuts. Trump fulfilled his 2016 promise of corporate taxes cuts as well lowering it to 21%.
You can find more in-depth analysis of both candidates’ tax policy here.
Climate Change
Biden created his Build Back Better plan which seeks to build modern and sustainable infrastructure that will achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in the US. In the first presidential debate, Biden said that he does not support the Green New Deal, and, rather, supports his own plan which is reportedly “more narrow and less aggressive” than the Green New Deal.
Trump has shown to prioritize the present costs of combatting climate change as opposed to an investment for the future. Trump’s administration has weakened or wiped out 125 policies whose aims were focused on protecting the nation’s air, water, and land.
You can find more in-depth analysis of both candidates’ stance on climate change here.
COVID
Biden is in support of handing COVID-19 response control to the federal government and of using the Defense Production Act to increase mask, face shield, and other protective equipment production. Biden advocates for free testing regardless of insurance and would invest $25 billion in a plan to manufacture and distribute a vaccine.
Trump has delegated COVID-19 response and testing strategies to state governments. He approved a law extending COBRA benefits for people on employer-based plans, though without government subsidies. He signed off on legislation eliminating out-of-pocket costs for virus testing and has invested around $12 billion in “Operation Warp Speed” to accelerate the vaccine process.
You can find more in-depth analysis of both candidates’ approach to COVID-19 here.
Immigration
Biden’s plan is to counteract most of President Trump’s current policies: halting construction of the border wall, elimination of family separation at border, and loosening restrictions on travel from Muslim-majority countries. Other plans include making DACA permanent, imposing restrictions on ICE, and increasing the cap for refugees.
Trump will likely build on what he has already done (building a wall, limiting asylum seekers and refugees, and further enforcing the immigration restrictions already in place). You can find more on Trump’s immigration policy here in an interview with his senior advisor Stephen Miller.
Concluding thoughts
Now more than ever it is vital that we ground our political opinions in fact. The above list of topics is only a few of the major issues that Trump and Biden consider paramount to their goals for America. We encourage you to take a look at the following resources to learn about some more issues—racial equality, abortion, foreign policy, trade, etc.—and also delve into the specifics of the issues discussed above. And VOTE if you can!!!!! (info on how to vote)
NPR Trump v. Biden Policy Comparison
Associated Press Trump v. Biden Policy Comparison
Investopedia 2020 Election Guide