By: Khamille Labbe, Contributing Writer
Nov. 3, 2020 is Election Day in the United States. In October, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden discussed their approaches to various issues facing the nation.[1] Here is a recap:
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020 – Town Hall Meetings
Days before the second presidential debate, President Donald Trump confirmed positive for the COVID-19 virus. However, once he felt better, he decided to hold a town hall meeting in order to answer questions concerning American voters.
COVID-19 was the first topic discussed. The president was asked about his support of herd immunity as a strategy to the Coronavirus. Herd immunity occurs when enough individuals become immune to a disease making its spread less likely. This means individuals would get exposed to the virus, developing immunity. It can occur through vaccination, however. Due to lack of one, it would happen based on the natural infection.
The president responded, “So that cure, that so-called cure you talk about, it can’t be worse than the problem.”
Corporate Tax Rates are important to the president as he has mentioned his desire to lower them, unlike his opponent who would rather keep them higher. When asked why this is and how it helps the community, Trump stated companies are moving into the United States because of the reduction in taxes for corporations. He continued to explain that low corporate tax rates have created jobs and boosted middle-income tax packages. A middle-income tax package would reduce the tax rate to 15 percent for middle-class taxpayers. The probability of the tax package working is unknown, as are the means to accomplish it.
Abortion. Trump was asked, “If Roe v. Wade is ultimately overturned in the future, what protections would be put in place or kept for where the mother’s life is in jeopardy in relation to high-risk pregnancies?”
Trump replied that decisions of such matter, “…could be sent down to the states and the states would decide.”
Trump abstained from saying anything both in person and at the town hall meeting that could be used to influence the decisions of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Trump did not take a stance on his opinions of Roe V. Wade as he deemed it would be inappropriate.
Immigration. Throughout Trump’s presidency, he has made efforts to cut the DACA Program to reform immigration. During the Town Hall, he was asked if these efforts would continue if he were to be elected for a second term. Thus far, under the Trump Administration, no new applications for the program are allowed. Rules for recipients have changed; they have to reapply into the program every two years instead of one. Trump claims he plans to continue the same efforts as it has helped limit the number of individuals migrating into the States, and thus, has indirectly helped limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
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The same night, at the same time, Joe Biden held a similar town hall meeting in Pennsylvania. Similar topics were discussed. The questions that differed were about the environment, the Crime Bill of 1944, and the Supreme Court– topics that were emphasized by the candidate.
Environment. Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. This activity provides jobs in the industrial mining sector. Biden stated that he does not propose banning fracking.
He claimed, “I think you have to make sure that fracking is, in fact, not admitting methane or polluting the well or dealing with what can be small earthquakes and how they’re drilling…the future rests in renewable energy.”
Crime Bill of 1944. The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 is a U.S. federal statute intended to enhance U.S. federal sentencing. It covers sentencing reform, bail, penalties for drug offenses, federal grants, and other aspects of criminal justice. George Stephanopoulos, the moderator of this town hall meeting, asked if it was a mistake to support the bill.
Biden replied, “Yes, it was. But here’s where the mistake came. The mistake came in terms of what the states did locally.”
He continued to explain the legislation was needed as it was indicative of its time as crime rates were at all-time highs throughout the 1960s and 1980s. The bill was claimed to have the support of the Democratic Party and multiple African American leaders such as the Congressional Black Caucus and Black mayors across America.
Supreme Court. Biden did not provide an answer to explain where he stood on the expansion of the Supreme Court.
He stated, “They (referring to voters) do have a right to know what I stand for, and they’ll have a right to know where I stand before they vote.”
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020 – Last Presidential Debate
The last debate between the presidential candidates took place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. There were six main topics addressed: fighting COVID-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership. Each topic was addressed with a variety of questions.
Fighting COVID-19. The question regarding COVID-19 was, “How would you lead the country during this next stage of the coronavirus crisis?”
Trump said that a vaccine would be available within weeks. He called it Operation Warp Speed and addressed that the military would distribute the vaccine.
Biden said he would encourage citizens to wear a mask, implement rapid testing, and invest in more tests for the virus.
He then added, “I would make sure that we set up national standards on how to open up schools and open up businesses so they can be safe and give them the wherewithal, the financial resources to be able to do that.”
American Families. Candidates were challenged to express their views on health insurance. The president said he will “…come up with better healthcare, always protecting people with pre-existing conditions.”
Biden described his plan for insurance as an attachment to Obamacare, stating there would be a public option for individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid to be enrolled automatically. This would provide competition for insurance companies but will also allow citizens to opt out and find the insurance they prefer.
Race in America. The moderator raised the issue of racial fear among the Black and Hispanic communities and questioned candidates about why that fear exists.
Biden said, “Because you are (addressing Black, Hispanic communities) in fact, the victim, whether you’re a person making $300,000 […] child of a $300,000 a year person or someone who’s on food stamps. The fact of the matter is, there is institutional racism in America.”
Trump explained what has been done to help these communities. For instance, the Opportunity Zones program by Tim Scott. The program is meant to provide tax incentives for investments in low-income communities, including deferring the recognition of capital gains that are reinvested in the zones.
Climate Change. Candidates were asked, “How would you both combat climate change and support job growth at the same time?”
Trump commented that America had the lowest number in carbon emission since leaving the Paris Agreement. He claimed countries like China, Russia, and India, all member still in the agreement are “filthy.”
The Paris Agreement aims to increase the capacities of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change and make financial flow consistent with a low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient pathways. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. carbon emissions are at their lowest since 1992. However, while those numbers are praised by climate scientists, they point out that the U.S. is still the world’s second largest carbon emitter behind China.
Biden argued that his climate change plan will create environmentally friendly jobs. His plan includes the production of electric cars, as it is “the market of the future.” In addition, his plan would put America in the position to see 4 million buildings and 2 million existing homes retrofitted to save energy.
National Security. Regarding national security being threatened by foreign influence, both candidates agreed there should be a financial charge to such countries. Trump said that he had the North Atlantic Treaty Organization put billions of dollars into the guard against Russia for American safety. Biden said if elected, he would make any country interfering with American sovereignty pay the price.
[1] Those are not all the topics discussed in the town hall meetings, but the topics that were most discussed by the voters rather than the moderator. We encourage doing individual research for better understanding.
