Every four years, we’re told the Presidential election coming up will be the most important in our lifetimes. That remains to be seen, of course, but it’s safe to say it’ll be the most unusual election in our lifetimes, coming as it will in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the very act of voting itself is subject of a debate over how safe it might be to vote in person. Both of the major political party nominating conventions were held virtually, and the campaign itself, at least to this point, has seen far fewer whistle-stop appearances than we’ve come to expect in the past.
One thing that’s normal this election year, though, is how little the platforms of the two major candidates—Joe Biden and Donald Trump—have in common. Comparing the campaign websites of Biden and Trump is like comparing blue to red—they don’t seem to even agree on what the most vital issues of the day are. The Biden website, for instance, targets specific voter blocs and his agenda for various communities: Black, Indian American, Jewish, Latino, Muslim-American, and women. Biden also focuses heavily on what he would have done differently to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, and how he plans to reopen the economy. The Trump website, on the other hand, takes an entirely different tactic by reminding voters of all the promises he has kept while as President, in the process sidestepping much if any mention of COVID-19. Trump’s website serves more as a reassurance for those who like what he’s already done (at least, pre-COVID), with the implication that you’ll like what he does for the next four years as well.
What follows is EHS Today’s attempt to summarize Vice President Biden’s and President Trump’s positions—in their own words, from their official campaign platforms—on several key issues crucial to EHS professionals and their workforces. It’s our hope that by examining their actual statements, it will help you form a clearer idea of what the country would look like in the coming four years after one of them is elected, and give you at least a little insight into their thoughts on matters of environment, health and safety.
Election Day is November 3 (unless you’re voting by mail). See you at the polls.
ON DRUG ABUSE & THE OPIOID CRISIS
Trump: President Trump’s Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse, unveiled in 2018, is confronting the driving forces behind the opioid crisis.
Part 1 is reducing demand and over-prescription, including educating Americans about the dangers of opioid misuse. Part 2 is cutting down on the supply of illicit drugs by cracking down on the international and domestic drug supply chains that devastate American communities. Part 3 is helping those struggling with addiction through evidence-based treatment and recovery support services.
As of October 2018, the Trump Administration had secured $6 billion in new funding over a two-year window to fight opioid abuse.
To curb over-prescription, the President implemented a Safer Prescribing Plan that will cut opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years.
President Trump is fighting to keep dangerous drugs out of the United States by securing land borders, ports of entry and waterways against smuggling.
In 2018, President Trump worked with Congress to pass the SUPPORT Act, the single largest legislative package addressing a single drug crisis in history
Biden: Biden will pursue a comprehensive, public health approach to deal with opioid and other substance use disorders. His plan will:
Hold accountable big pharmaceutical companies, executives and others responsible for their role in triggering the opioid crisis.
Make effective prevention, treatment and recovery services available to all, through a $125 billion federal investment.
Stop overprescribing while improving access to effective and needed pain management.
Reform the criminal justice system so that no one is incarcerated for drug use alone.
Stem the flow of illicit drugs, like fentanyl and heroin, into the United States, especially from China and Mexico.
ON REGULATIONS
Biden: Double the number of OSHA investigators to enforce the law and existing standards and guidelines. Under President Trump, OSHA currently has record low inspectors. Given the exigencies of this crisis, and the need for rigorous enforcement of workplace standards across the country, at least twice the number of inspectors are needed.
Trump: President Trump signed an Executive Order, mandating that two regulations must be eliminated for every regulation created in order to reduce compliance costs. To date, 860 regulatory actions have been withdrawn or removed from active status.
The Administration actually eliminated 22 regulations for every new regulatory action. The Administration issued 67 deregulatory actions while only imposing three new regulatory actions.
In FY 2017, the Administration saved $8.1 billion in lifetime net regulatory cost savings, equivalent to $570 million per year.
President Trump has signed 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions into law, more than any other president, ending burdensome Obama-era rules and regulations.
President Trump signed 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions into law that is estimated to save American taxpayers $3.7 billion.
ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Trump: EPA has re-launched the Smart Sectors Program to partner with the private sector to achieve better environmental outcomes.
The lead for each sector serves as the ombudsmen within the respective agency across program offices, conducts educational site tours, analyzes data and advises options for environmental improvement, and develops reports that profile the impact of each sector. It also works to streamline EPA practices and operations.
Kept campaign promise to get America out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
President Trump proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule to reduce greenhouse gases, empower states, promote energy independence, and facilitate economic growth and job creation.
Biden: As President, Biden will lead the world to address the climate emergency and lead through the power of example, by ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
The Biden Plan will:
Ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
Build a stronger, more resilient nation. Biden will use the convening power of government to boost climate resilience efforts by developing regional climate resilience plans, in partnership with local universities and national labs, for local access to the most relevant science, data, information, tools, and training.
Rally the rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change. He will not only recommit the United States to the Paris Agreement on climate change—he will go much further than that. He will lead an effort to get every major country to ramp up the ambition of their domestic climate targets.
Stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities. Vulnerable communities are disproportionately impacted by the climate emergency and pollution. The Biden Administration will take action against fossil fuel companies and other polluters who put profit over people and knowingly harm our environment and poison our communities’ air, land and water, or conceal information regarding potential environmental and health risks.
Fulfill our obligation to workers and communities who powered our industrial revolution and subsequent decades of economic growth.
ON HEALTHCARE
Biden: The Biden Plan will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare. As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other healthcare providers.
Increase the value of tax credits to lower premiums and extend coverage to more working Americans.
Repeal the outrageous exception allowing drug corporations to avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices.
Achieve mental health parity and expand access to mental health care.
Trump: The Department of Agriculture provided more than $1 billion in FY2017 to be used to improve access to healthcare services for 2.5 million people in rural communities.
The Trump administration expanded access to Association Health Plans (AHPs) allowing small businesses to pool risk across states.
As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act President Trump repealed the individual mandate, which forced people to buy expensive insurance and taxed those who couldn’t afford it. The mandate disproportionately hurt the poor: 80% of those affected made less than $50,000.
ON THE ECONOMY
Trump: The Trump administration’s pro-growth policies have generated 6 million new jobs, the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point in 50 years, and wages have grown at more than 3% for 10 months in a row.
The manufacturing industry created nearly half a million new jobs. 625,000 new construction jobs have been created since President Trump took office.
Hispanic, Asian and African American unemployment rates have all reached record lows under President Trump.
There are more than a million more job openings than unemployed persons in the U.S.
President Trump signed an executive order that expanded federally funded apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training. The Workforce Development Advisory Council established by President Trump’s executive order has already created on-the-job training opportunities for 6.5 million Americans.
Biden: The Biden plan will mobilize the American people in service of four bold, national efforts to address four great national challenges. As President, Biden will:
Mobilize American manufacturing and innovation to ensure that the future is made in America, and in all of America.
Mobilize American ingenuity to build a modern infrastructure and an equitable, clean energy future.
Mobilize American talent and heart to build a 21st century caregiving and education workforce which will help ease the burden of care for working parents, especially women.
Mobilize across the board to advance racial equity in America.
In addition to bringing back the jobs lost this year, Biden’s plan to ensure the future is made in all of America will help create at least 5 million new jobs in manufacturing and innovation.