A recent U-High Midway survey highlighted issues in the election that are most important to U-High students. Here are the top concerns with summaries of policy positions from Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. This story was compiled by Taariq Ahmed with additional reporting by Skye Freeman.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
“As a girl, I feel like I want the choice to be able to do whatever I want to do with my body, and it shouldn’t really be dictated by what men in a courtroom have to say.”
— Zoe Alphonse, junior
Kamala Harris has made abortion rights a hallmark of her campaign, pledging to sign a Congress-passed bill making abortion a federally-protected right. Ms. Harris, the second woman who is a major-party presidential nominee, has energized the pro-choice movement, aligning it with the key message of Freedom. Ms. Harris is also a strong supporter of access to in vitro fertilization treatments which has recently come under scrutiny in court cases as people believe life starts at fertilization.
Donald Trump believes abortion rights should be left up to individual states to decide, modeled by his role in and support for the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Mr. Trump has recently stated that he supports abortion legislation that makes exceptions for rape, incest and instances when the mother’s life is at risk. Mr. Trump also has proposed an unspecified plan to make IVF treatments free for all women who need it, which differs from other people in his political party.
Sources: The White House, CNN, The 19th, ACLU, CNN
CLIMATE CHANGE:
“The candidates’ takes on climate change policy will be extremely influential to the future of the world, as we’re currently living in a period of time in which we still have the opportunity to do something, but that window will pass.”
— Isaac Sutherland, sophomore
Kamala Harris supports the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, especially contributing to the international effort of limiting global temperature increases, and advocates for achieving 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2035. Ms. Harris proposes significant investment in clean energy infrastructure and jobs. Ms. Harris does not support a ban on fracking, although she previously did when she initially ran for president in 2020.
Donald Trump expresses skepticism of human-caused climate change, especially shown by when as president in 2017 he withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement. Mr. Trump has also reversed or weakened rules during his presidential term that limited greenhouse gas emissions here in the U.S. Mr. Trump celebrates U.S. fossil fuel production with the belief that oil drilling makes the nation a more competitive energy producer.
Sources: CNN, The New York Times, The Guardian, USA Today
IMMIGRATION:
“My family is basically all immigrants, and I grew up in a community with lots of immigrants too. There’s a shared understanding of trying to navigate the difficulties of being undocumented, and trying to come here through a legal process.”
— Santiago Tardio, junior
Kamala Harris pledges to “protect our nation’s sovereignty” and “secure our border,” supporting tougher border policies, such as backing changes to make asylum restrictions longer-lasting. Ms. Harris promises to revive and pass the bipartisan border security bill — which would increase border staffing, expand detention capacity, introduce asylum reforms and more — that failed in Congress. She supports reducing illegal border crossings, and she also supports creating legal avenues for immigration to reduce pressure on the border.
Donald Trump promises to launch “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” which would involve arresting, detaining and deporting millions of illegal immigrants. He would reinstate several border policies from his term, including the Remain in Mexico policy, Title 42 and the so-called “Muslim ban.” Mr. Trump also wants to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrant parents. Mr. Trump plans to use federal and state resources for immigration enforcement, which may include local law enforcement and the National Guard.
Source: Newsweek, Elcano Royal Institute, NBC, The Guardian, ACLU
FOREIGN WAR:
“The issue that matters to me the most in the election is the policy on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. These wars need to be resolved and the people who have suffered need to be provided with support and resources.”
— Arlo Temelko-Post, sophomore
Kamala Harris strongly supports cooperation with the NATO alliance and criticizes Mr. Trump’s threats to abandon it. On the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ms. Harris pledges continued support for Ukraine and condemns Russian aggression. Ms. Harris has consistently expressed support for providing military, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. On the Israel-Hamas war, Ms. Harris supports Israel’s right to self-defense but is vocal about humanitarian concerns in Gaza.
Donald Trump threatens to leave NATO as he criticizes European allies for not reaching defense spending goals. On Ukraine, Mr. Trump claims he could end the war quickly and opposes additional aid to Ukraine. On Gaza, he expresses strong support for Israel and is skeptical of a two-state solution for the conflict. He has said in terms of the war to “get it over with”
Source: Euronews, CBS, Euronews, PBS/NPR, ABC, The Guardian, Associated Press, NPR, TIME, Magazine, Associated Press
