What is Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s position on this matter?

WASHINGTON – The tight presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump presents voters with very different choices on a long list of issues.

From the economy to foreign policy, abortion rights to the future of the Affordable Care Act, the two candidates presented starkly different visions of how they would govern.

Harris, the Democratic nominee, promised a “New Way Forward,” saying Tuesday in her closing speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., that she would “turn the page on drama and conflict and fear and division,” introducing herself as “a new generation of leaders in America.”

Trump, the GOP nominee, renewed his 2016 pledge to “Make America Great Again,” saying last Sunday at Madison Square Garden in his closing remarks that “we’re just going to make America affordable again” and that he would fight critics whom he described as “the enemy from within.”

The economy tops poll after poll as the most important issue for voters. However, several studies, including a recent Gallup poll of registered voters, found that other key issues for voters include immigration, abortion, the state of U.S. democracy, health care, taxes, national security, gun policy, education and the future Supreme Court.

Below are side-by-side comparisons of the candidates’ positions that Newsday compiled from candidate statements, campaign materials and news coverage.

Candidates appear in alphabetical order by last name.

ECONOMY AND TAXES

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

He vows to restore the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit
Supports a higher minimum wage and a newborn tax credit of up to $6,000 a year
He supports eliminating tip taxes for service industry workers
He supports a new wealth tax on people with assets worth more than $100 million
She did not address whether she would extend and repeal the SALT cap
Supports increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%

Donald Trump

GOP candidate

He wants to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent, set to expire at the end of 2025.
He proposes eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits and tip income
Plans to cut federal spending on certain programs and agencies
He said he would let the SALT cap expire at the end of 2025
It will reduce the tax rate from 21% to 15% for companies manufacturing in the US

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

It maintains support for NATO and commits to further assistance to Ukraine
Supports a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
He supports an approach of avoiding complete separation of U.S. and Chinese business interests
confirms US support for Taiwan

Donald Trump

PO candidate

He criticizes global alliances, especially NATO
He claims that he could end the Russian-Ukrainian war, but does not provide specific plans
Supports Israel’s fight against Hamas, but urges Israel to ‘deal with it quickly’
It suggests an approach that would avoid a complete breakdown in U.S.-China relations
It proposes tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese goods and 20% on other foreign goods

IMMIGRATION

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

He promises to fight for “strong border security” with a developed path to citizenship
Supports the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform
He supports the bipartisan Senate border security bill, which would fund more border officers and judges
Commits to addressing the root causes of migration from Central America

Donald Trump

PO candidate

Vows to carry out ‘largest deportation in American history’
He promises to restore the first term’s “Remain in Mexico” program and travel bans
He wants to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants
Plans to complete the border wall and strengthen law enforcement measures

MISCARRIAGE

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

Supports the right to abortion
Pledges to sign federal legislation protecting reproductive freedoms across the country
It views abortion as a matter of personal choice and freedom

Donald Trump

GOP candidate

He takes credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade
Supports state-level decision-making on abortion laws
He tries to present a moderate position without compromising his conservative base

HEALTH CARE

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

Supports expanding and strengthening the Affordable Care Act
He wants to permanently introduce tax breaks that reduce health care premiums
Aims to extend senior spending limits of $35 for insulin and $2,000 for medications to everyone
Supports Medicare’s authority to negotiate lower drug prices

Donald Trump

PO candidate

He is critical of the Affordable Care Act and has stated that he has “plan concepts” to replace it
He promises to protect Medicare
It would order the U.S. government to pay drug companies the best price from other countries
It offers taxpayer-funded infertility treatment

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

Supports the transition to a “clean energy economy”
He supported the main climate initiatives included in the Inflation Reduction Act
She no longer supports a fracking ban, a change from her position during the 2020 campaign
emphasizes job creation in clean energy sectors

Donald Trump

PO candidate

He sums up his energy policy with the words “Drill, baby, drill.”
He promises to increase domestic oil and gas production
Plans to roll back the Biden administration’s environmental regulations and climate initiatives
He expresses skepticism about the science of climate change and opposes wind energy

EDUCATION

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

Supports maintaining and expanding the role of the U.S. Department of Education
He opposes private school vouchers and tax breaks that divert funds from public schools
He wants to increase federal funding for Title I, special education and Head Start
It proposes increasing teacher salaries by an average of $13,500 to close the pay gap

Donald Trump

PO candidate

He says he will eliminate the Department of Education and give the states control of education
Supports universal school choice and voucher programs
The issue of teacher salaries was not addressed
Cuts funding for schools teaching “critical race theory” or “radical gender ideology”

APARTMENTS

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

Proposes the construction of 3 million new apartments over 4 years, a 50% increase over current rates
Supports providing down payment assistance of up to $25,000 to first-time home buyers
He wants to expand tax credits for low-income housing to increase the availability of affordable housing
proposes the creation of a new tax incentive for construction companies to build starter homes for first-time buyers

Donald Trump

GOP candidate

Proposes making some federal land available for large-scale housing development
He wants to eliminate house building regulations to lower costs and speed up construction
Supports lower interest rates to improve housing affordability
He says deporting millions of illegal immigrants would reduce demand for housing

GUNS AND THE II AMENDMENT

Kamala Harris

DNC candidate

He owns a Glock pistol but supports stricter gun control laws
Supports a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
Supports universal background checks
He supports “red flag” laws, which aim to keep guns away from potentially dangerous people
Proposes executive action on guns if Congress fails to pass legislation

Donald Trump

PO candidate

He supports Second Amendment gun rights and opposes stricter gun control laws
Vows to end ‘Harris-Biden attacks on law-abiding gun owners’
He vows to insist that U.S. law allows people to carry concealed weapons across state lines
He proposes establishing tax breaks to subsidize the purchase of weapons and training for teachers

By Tom Brune and Laura Figueroa Hernandez