This four-part collection examines the candidates’ positions and coverage proposals in an effort to chop by way of the noise and spotlight the place Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on crucial points going through Individuals on this election. Data is sourced from marketing campaign web sites and what the candidates have mentioned on the path and in interviews.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have starkly completely different positions on well being care and reproductive rights—maybe most evident of their method to abortion.
Enhancing well being look after Individuals has been a urgent difficulty for many years, with the pandemic shining a light-weight on the dysfunction and inefficiencies of an antiquated system the place a couple of third of all prices stem from bureaucratic and administrative bills.
The U.S. spends twice as a lot on well being care per capita in comparison with different rich nations, however ranks among the many lowest in lots of necessary well being indicators.
The Reasonably priced Care Act was a noble effort to deal with a few of these lingering issues and increase entry to well being care. The Committee to Defend Well being Care PAC launched a letter signed by 1,500 docs calling on Trump, who pledged throughout his first run for the White Home to “repeal and replace” the measure, to elucidate his well being care plan and inform voters what he intends to do with the ACA if elected. As for Harris, she mentioned through the presidential debate on Sept. 10 that she intends to strengthen the ACA.
Kamala Harris’ Well being Care Plan
Harris’ well being care proposals comprise much more specifics than Trump’s, with a concentrate on increasing entry and bringing down prices. The vice chairman has additionally made reproductive rights a core tenet of her marketing campaign. She goals to revive entry to abortion and set up protections for ladies throughout the nation.
Set up paid household and medical depart
Harris pledges to revitalize Congress’ Household and Medical Go away Act (FMLA), which at the moment affords Individuals 12 weeks off—unpaid. Harris has additionally spoken about the necessity to enact paid household depart and different types of help. “Every worker should be able to take time off to care for themselves or for the people they love,” she mentioned.
Spend money on reasonably priced youngster care
The vice chairman would restrict the quantity working households pay for youngster care to 7% of their revenue.
Develop Medicare to cowl in-home look after the aged and disabled
Harris states on her marketing campaign web site that she’ll “fight to lower care costs for American families, including by expanding high-quality home care services for seniors and people with disabilities.” Asserting her proposal throughout an look on “The View,” Harris mentioned the measure is supposed to assist the so-called “sandwich generation”—these with youngsters and oldsters to care for on the identical time. The coverage goals to release funds and time for caregivers who’ve traditionally needed to depart their employers and lose revenue to look after aged dad and mom or disabled family members.
Signal nationwide abortion safety into legislation
Harris pledges to signal a legislation reinstating Roe v. Wade and the federal proper to abortion if Congress passes it. This may exceed any state legislation that bans or tremendously restricts abortion entry.
Decrease prescription drug prices
She proposes decreasing prescription drug prices by putting in a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug prices for these with non-public insurance coverage.
Defend and increase the ACA
Harris advocates for maintaining the ACA intact and increasing it. She has emphasised the significance of preserving the ACA by recalling Trump’s efforts to repeal it. The coverage, carried out by President Barack Obama in 2010, supplied insurance coverage for greater than 21 million Individuals in 2024.
Donald Trump’s Well being Care Plan
Trump’s well being care plan hasn’t been fleshed out regardless of years of guarantees. His marketing campaign web site has little on the subject apart from broad statements about growing “transparency” and selling “choice and competition.” The previous president, who additionally takes nice pleasure in claiming accountability for the Supreme Courtroom overturning Roe v. Wade, has admitted that he has simply “concepts of a plan” for bettering the American well being care system.
Lack of proposals or imprecise solutions on the ACA
In 2016, Trump campaigned on repealing and changing the ACA. He failed whereas in workplace. Trump has continued his push to repeal the ACA and change it with a plan he claims can be extra reasonably priced—with out offering particulars. “I had a choice to make when I was president: do I save it and make it as good as it can be—never going to be great—or do I let it rot? I felt I had an obligation, even though, politically, it would have been good to just let it rot and let it go away,” Trump mentioned on the Sept. 10 presidential debate.
Murky proposal on nationwide abortion ban—”depart it to states”
Because the president who nominated three Supreme Courtroom justices chargeable for overturning Roe v. Wade, Trump has expressed pleasure—and campaigned on—the choice. Nevertheless, he has additionally mentioned that he would veto a federal legislation banning abortion and believes particular person states ought to resolve the difficulty. Trump praised “the courage” of the justices for overturning the longstanding federal safety of abortion throughout an all-women city corridor on Oct. 16, claiming that Individuals needed abortion “brought out of federal government and brought back to the states.”
Finish transgender care
Trump has made it a marketing campaign difficulty to maintain males out of ladies’s sports activities, ban taxpayer funding for gender reassignment surgical procedures, and cease faculties from supporting gender transition.
Enlist his daughter to determine youngster care coverage
“Child care is a No. 1 priority, and I have no choice because I have a daughter named Ivanka… and that’s all she talks to me about is child care for the people,” Trump mentioned on the Oct. 16 city corridor. “We put in a great child care and we’ll be expanding that, and that will help you a lot,” the previous president advised the all-women viewers.
