Breaking Down the Key Issues: Harris vs. Trump

As the election approaches and polls show Vice President Harris and President Trump in a statistical tie, take a look at where the two candidates stand on key issues.

Agriculture

The Harris campaign has carried on much of the same messaging as the Biden Administration surrounding strengthening rural infrastructure and sustainability through investment.

• Expanding crop insurance and expand rural programs that would increase educational opportunities and job training.

• Focus on sustainability and climate-smart agriculture.

• Strengthen H-2A visa program and provide a pathway to citizenship for agriculture workers.

• Increase rural infrastructure investment.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve sustainability.

Trump's approach has been to deregulate and increase agriculture production through reduced costs and tariffs.

• Calls for improvements to crop insurance and risk management programs.

• Lower regulations for farmers, including reducing environmental rules.

• Potential to rework the USMCA to provide further benefit to US farmers, and protect agricultural goods from Chinese markets.

• Boost ethanol production and reduce EPA regulations.

• Merit-based immigration for farm labor.

• Reduced regulatory costs for farmers.

• Higher agricultural export volumes.

International Trade

The central messaging of Harris campaign around trade so far has been to invest in global supply chains and enter more bilateral trade agreements.

• The Biden administration has prioritized entering bilateral trade agreements with Taiwan, Kenya, and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

• Harris voted against the USMCA in 2020 due to the trade deal not addressing climate change.

• Trade agreements may include climate protection guarantees and worker protections.

• Willing to continue and expand tariffs.

• Both candidates aim to return manufacturing jobs to the US but take much different approaches. While Trump’s tariff plan would make it more expensive for companies to operate outside the US, Harris’ subsidies, trade agreements, and continued tariffs would entice manufacturers to return and avoid China.

The Trump campaign has continued to push their goals of establishing tariffs on imported goods.

• Trump has spoken about establishing a 10% universal tariff on all imported goods, and a 60% tariff on all goods imported from China.

• Targets economic independence from China, phasing out the import of all Chinese essential goods after 4 years.

• Potential for a renegotiated USCMA to be more beneficial to the US.

Energy and Environment

A Harris administration would maintain Biden-era climate protections and finalize key aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act.

• Harris would likely align herself with the past climate actions and investments implemented by the BidenHarris administration.

• The Biden-Harris administration has focused on rebuilding regulatory agencies, addressing environmental racism, tackling super pollutants, rejoining landmark accords, and securing federal funding for EV and carbon reduction programs.

• The Inflation Reduction Act invests nearly $400B to incentivize companies to invest in carbon-reducing technologies, support clean energy, and take on climate change; the IRA also provides significant funding to agencies such as the EPA and DOI.

• As Vice President, Harris advocated for allocating $20 billion to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

• She plans to expand efforts to cut methane emissions and implement the EPA’s rules for reducing methane leaks from oil and gas operations.

• Continue implementation of the IRA, supporting renewable energy while allowing new fracking lease; has stated she will not ban fracking on federal lands.

• Increase regulation of PFAs.

• Reinforce protections under the ESA.

A Trump administration would invest in the energy industry and pull back from climate change initiatives.

• Previously, the administration withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, suggesting it killed American jobs; leaving the Paris Agreement again is a real possibility for a second term .

• The administration additionally rolled back over 100 environmental rules, including removing wetland protections, changing mercury emission restrictions, and eroding carbon dioxide emission limits.

• Trump has heavily aligned himself with the fossil fuel industry, approving major oil pipeline projects and expanding offshore drilling during his presidency.

• Project 2025, the Republican agenda for a second Trump term, heavily focuses on reversing Biden’s climate actions; Key components include restructuring the National Climate Assessment, introducing an energy and environment coordinator, and reorganizing climate change research programs such as the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

• Increased oil and gas exploration on public lands like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and expansion of offshore drilling.

Tax Policy

Harris:

• Renew 2017 tax cuts for Americans making under $400,000.

• Renew 2017 TCJA increase in child tax credit.

• Raise income taxes for Americans making over $400,000.

• Raise corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.

• Raise capital gains tax.

Trump:

• Lower corporate tax rate from 21% to 20%.

• Renew 2017 TCJA tax cuts.

• Propose a new two bracket tax system at rates of 15% and 30%, with the higher tier placed at the social security wage base (currently $168,600).

• Institute a 10% baseline tariff for all imports.

• Levy a 60% tariff on Chinese goods.

• Tax university endowments.

Health Care Policy

The Biden-Harris administration has been committed to ensuring affordable and high-quality health care services. Under their administration they have:

• Expanded ACA coverage by increasing subsidies and reversing Trump-era policies.

• Allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices and expanded the cap on insulin costs.

• Directed the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), extending eligibility for higher subsidies.

• Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, extending subsidies until 2025.

Over the course of the Trump administration he:

• Sought to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2017.

• Eliminated the ACA's individual mandate, which previously fined those without health insurance.

• Expanded access to Association Health Plans and short-term, limited-duration insurance.

• Signed protections against surprise medical billing and pushed for rules requiring hospitals to disclose standard charges for services.

• Introduced a plan to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare Part D beneficiaries under the Senior Savings Model.