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Explore Candidate Policies

Policy sources from         Ballotwise,

a nonpartisan app to help inform voters.

Set to launch in September.

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Economy & Jobs

Kamala Harris

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  • American Rescue Plan Act (ARP): This $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed in March 2021 provided direct payments, expanded unemployment benefits, and significant funding for state and local governments. It helped keep 200,000 child care centers and 100,000 restaurants and bars open, resulted in the child poverty rate being cut in half, led to a record of 10.5 million new small businesses applications, and more.

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  • Minimum Wage Advocacy: Harris supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour in March 2021, which would benefit 32 million workers, many of whom are in low-wage positions.

 

Donald Trump

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  • Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017: This legislation provided $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, but 83% of the benefits are projected to go to the wealthiest 1% by 2027. The act increased the federal deficit without delivering significant wage growth for working families.

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  • Weakening Labor Protections: Trump’s administration rolled back regulations that expanded overtime pay eligibility, reducing the number of workers eligible by over 8 million.

Healthcare

Kamala Harris

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  • Affordable Care Act (ACA) Protection: Harris supported efforts to protect and expand the ACA, which has provided healthcare to over 40 million Americans.

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  • Prescription Drug Costs: Harris advocates for allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly, which could save the government $450 billion over 10 years and reduce out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans.

 

Donald Trump

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  • Attempts to Repeal the ACA: Trump's administration repeatedly tried to repeal the ACA without a replacement, which would have resulted in over 40 million people losing their health insurance.

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  • Pre-existing Conditions: Despite promises to protect them, Trump supported a lawsuit that sought to overturn the ACA, which would have removed protections for 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Climate Change & Environment

Kamala Harris

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  • Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022: The IRA, which Harris supported, is the largest investment in clean energy and climate action in U.S. history, allocating $369 billion to reduce emissions and create green jobs.

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  • Paris Agreement: The Biden-Harris administration rejoined the Paris Agreement, recommitting the U.S. to global climate efforts.

 

Donald Trump

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  • Paris Agreement Withdrawal: Trump formally withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement in 2020.

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  • Environmental Deregulation: Trump rolled back over 100 environmental regulations, weakening protections for clean air and water.

Education

Kamala Harris

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  • American Families Plan: Harris supports making community college free, which could benefit 5.5 million students annually and save the average student $3,700 in tuition per year.

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  • Student Loan Forgiveness: Harris backed the cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers earning under $125,000, helping over 40 million Americans.

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  • Opposition to Censorship: Harris has spoken against the banning of books, especially those that deal with racial history, LGBTQ+ issues, and social justice, emphasizing the importance of a diverse and inclusive curriculum.

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  • Education for All: Harris supports funding for public education and programs that ensure students have access to a broad, uncensored range of educational materials.

 

Donald Trump

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  • Private School Vouchers: Trump promoted the expansion of private school vouchers, diverting funds from public schools to private institutions.

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  • Education Funding Cuts: Trump proposed cutting $7.1 billion from the Department of Education’s budget in 2020, which included reductions in funding for after-school programs and public school support

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  • Support for Book Bans

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  • Cultural War on Education: Trump has supported efforts to ban books that address topics like critical race theory, LGBTQ+ rights, and other social justice issues. He has criticized efforts to teach America’s history of racism, calling it "un-American."

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  • Trump’s Influence on Local Policies: Trump’s rhetoric has emboldened local and state-level movements to ban books from school libraries that challenge traditional narratives or address social issues, contributing to a wave of book bans across the country.​​​

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Social Safety Nets

Kamala Harris

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  • Child Tax Credit Expansion: The expansion of the Child Tax Credit under the ARPA reduced child poverty by 46% in 2021.

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  • Social Security: Harris opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare, advocating for expanded benefits for retirees.

 

Donald Trump

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  • Cuts to Social Safety Nets: Trump’s budgets consistently proposed cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which many working families rely on.

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  • Social Security Risk: Trump proposed payroll tax cuts that would have undermined the funding for Social Security.

Racism and Racial Equality

Kamala Harris

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Accomplishments:

  • George Floyd Justice in Policing Act: Harris was a key supporter of this bill, which aims to address police brutality and systemic racism by banning chokeholds, ending qualified immunity, and creating a national police misconduct registry.

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  • Support for Voting Rights: Harris has been an advocate for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which seeks to restore and strengthen protections against racial discrimination in voting that were weakened by the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder.

 

Donald Trump

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Racist Rhetoric and Policies:

  • Anti-Asian Hate Speech during Pandemic: Trump fueled Anti-Asian violence calling COVID-19 the "Kung-flu" and other racist terms consistently that have sparked massive violence within the AANHAPI community including the mass shooting of women of Asian descent during March 2021 in Atlanta Georgia.

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  • Charlottesville: Trump’s infamous response to the 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally, stating there were "very fine people on both sides," was widely condemned as equating white nationalists with those protesting against racism.

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  • Immigration Policies: Trump’s administration implemented policies that disproportionately targeted immigrants of color, including the Muslim Ban (Executive Order 13769), which banned travelers from several predominantly Muslim countries, and the "Zero Tolerance" policy that led to family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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  • Support for Confederate Monuments: Trump consistently defended Confederate statues, framing their removal as an attack on "heritage," despite these monuments being symbols of racial oppression.

Abortion Rights

Kamala Harris

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Accomplishments:

  • Protecting Roe v. Wade: Harris has been a staunch advocate for reproductive rights and has consistently opposed efforts to restrict access to abortion. She co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade and prevent states from imposing restrictive abortion laws.

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  • Reproductive Justice: Harris has called for expanded access to reproductive healthcare, including contraception and maternal care, particularly for low-income and marginalized communities.

 

Donald Trump

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Efforts to Restrict Abortion:

  • Supreme Court Appointments: Trump appointed three conservative justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett) to the Supreme Court, leading to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, effectively ending federal protection for abortion rights.

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  • Global Gag Rule: Trump reinstated and expanded the "Mexico City Policy" (Global Gag Rule), which prohibited U.S. funding to international organizations that provide or promote abortions, severely impacting reproductive health services globally.

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  • Support for State-Level Bans: Trump openly supported state-level abortion bans, including Alabama’s near-total ban in 2019, which did not include exceptions for rape or incest.

Project 2025

Kamala Harris

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Opposition to Extemist Agendas:

  • Democracy and Governance: Harris has consistently opposed efforts to undermine democratic institutions and norms. She supports reforms to strengthen voting rights, transparency, and accountability in government.

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  • Response to Project 2025: Harris and her allies have been vocal critics of Project 2025, framing it as an extreme agenda that threatens civil liberties, democracy, and the rule of law.

 

Donald Trump

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Support and Involvement in Project 2025:

  • Authoritarian Agenda: Project 2025 is a plan devised by Trump allies to overhaul the federal government and consolidate power within the executive branch. This includes purging non-loyal government officials, reducing checks on presidential power, and pushing forward conservative policies on immigration, education, and civil rights.

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  • Consolidation of Power: If implemented, Project 2025 would give the president unprecedented control over federal agencies, undermining the independence of the judiciary and other branches of government. This aligns with Trump’s broader agenda of centralizing power and weakening democratic safeguards.

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