Abortion

Biden:

• Pro-choice
• Wants to maintain the right to a legal abortion
• Aims to pass federal law protecting the right to abortion
• Quoted as saying, “we will protect women’s constitutional right to choose, and I am proud to stand with you in this fight” in a video released by Planned Parenthood Action Fund in June
• Supports the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which ensures that taxpayer money isn’t used for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the life of the mother

Climate Change

Biden:

• Has pledged to “ensure that the United States achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050.”  and vows to spend $2 trillion over his term to do so
• Aims to be tougher on auto emission regulations – supporting the research behind zero-emission cars
• Aims to return the United States to a position of leadership in the international fight against climate change
• If elected, Biden has promised to recommit the United States to the Paris Agreement.

COVID-19

Biden:

• Would like to take a more centralized approach to the virus
• Opposes Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, and will reinstate the country’s membership
• “I will be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus.” 

Economy

Biden:

• Wants a gradual approach to reopening the economy
• Aims to spend trillions to provide new jobs in the clean energy sector
• Biden plans on reversing Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans by increasing the marginal tax rate on the highest bracket from 37 percent to 39.6 percent
• Intends on raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour

Gun Control

Biden:

• On his campaign website, Biden states that he would, “hold gun manufacturers accountable…get weapons of war off our streets…close the hate crime and Charleston loopholes…[and] prohibit the use of federal funds to arm or train educators to discharge firearms.”

Healthcare

Biden:

• Supports existing Obamacare protections
• Calls for a public healthcare option, similar to Medicare, working as a substitute for having individual insurance
• Biden’s healthcare plan will cost $750 billion over 10 years and would be paid for by increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans
• Wants to lower drug costs
• Wants Medicare to be more inclusive by lowering the eligibility age by five years, from 65 to 60

Immigration

Biden:

• Tweeted that he believes “immigrants help grow our economy and create jobs”
• Will pause deportations for 100 days after taking office
• Supports DACA
• Wouldn’t tear down border barriers, but would permanently stop new construction
• Vows to end the prosecution of immigrant parents for minor immigration violations

Race, Criminal Justice, & Police Reform

Biden:

• Has guaranteed diversity within his cabinet, judicial nominees, and running mate
• Won’t “defund the police” like progressives want him to, but promises to invest millions to create a program to hire more diverse officers and reduce tension between the police and their respective communities
• Wants to eliminate the death penalty and solitary confinement

Abortion

Trump:

• Generally pro-life, except in cases of incest, rape, and instances where the mother’s life is in danger
• In an interview with MSNBC in 2016, Trump stated that in the instance of a ban, he believes “the doctor or any other person performing… upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman”
• In 2016, he said he will nominate a judge to the Supreme Court who would overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which guaranteed the right to abortion
• Followed through in part on his promise to eliminate federal funding for abortion, blocking organizations that perform abortions from receiving Title X funding, one major source of federal funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood

Climate Change

Trump:

• Does not have a climate change plan, and has overturned dozens of existing federal climate policies, such as Obama’s limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, cars, and trucks 
• In his 2021 budget, Trump proposed significant cuts to the EPA, which would slash its budget by 26 percent and eliminate 50 programs
• Has stated that auto emissions and fuel efficiency standards are “industry killing,” and has moved to eliminate or weaken existing standards during his presidency
• Withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement in June 2017. The withdrawal will likely go into effect on November 4, 2020.

COVID-19

Trump:

• Pushing for federalism in his pandemic response by letting states decide their own health measures as opposed to making the federal government responsible for implementing universal state-wide reopening plans 
• Trump is initiating the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization
• “It’s going away. Like things go away. No question in my mind that it will go away, hopefully, sooner rather than later.”

Economy

Trump:

• Trump wants to return to normal economic operation as soon as possible
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, Trump has pushed for onetime aid to be sent to businesses, local governments, and individuals who need it
• Trump does not want to raise taxes on individuals or corporations, especially now with businesses and employees working to recover from the losses associated with COVID-19

Gun Control

Trump:

• Generally opposes gun control, however, he does support a ban on assault weapons
• Banned bump stocks, which are accessories attached to semiautomatic firearms and allow bullets to be fired quicker
• Signed the STOP School Violence Act into law
• Has discussed supplying school teachers with guns as a safety precaution against school shootings 

Healthcare

Trump:

• Does not support the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — and has worked to eliminate the program in its entirety
• Has not yet proposed a stand-in for Obamacare, but has vowed to provide a better and cheaper healthcare system
• Wants to lower drug costs to simulate the cheaper prices in foreign countries
• Wants to cap Medicare by imposing additional limitations on eligibility 

Immigration

Trump:

• Believes that immigrants take jobs from U.S. workers and will bring health issues during the pandemic 
• Trump tried to end DACA, a policy that protects youth immigrants from deportation, but the Supreme Court ruled against it
• With a goal of 450 miles by the end of the year, the Trump administration has already completed 265 miles of wall along the nearly 2,000-mile southern border — of which new construction comprises just 16 miles 

Race, Criminal Justice, & Police Reform

Trump:

• Trump signed an executive order encouraging police to update their standards for use of force, and banning chokeholds unless the life of an officer is in danger
• Has supported moderate criminal justice reform, signing the First Step Act into law