This year, although the election looks quite different among a global pandemic, it is still just as crucial. It is quite possible that this year’s election will go down as one of the most important in our nation’s history to date. There are so many issues on the line ranging from the short-term question of the filling of recently passed Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s seat in the Supreme Court to the long-term growing concern of climate change around the world and the impending consequences we face from it. The candidate you nominate this year will make a huge impact on some key issues, so make sure to stay informed on the stances of the presidential nominees and make an educated decision on who you feel is best equipped to face the concerns of our current national climate. The following is a compiled list of a few topics that are being debated during this election that can have a huge impact on young adults.
Healthcare
As college students, you are rapidly approaching the age where you will have to have your own health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has made it so anyone can stay under their parents’ insurance until the age of twenty-six. After this, you are on your own. At age twenty-six, that is a scary time to have to start paying health insurance as many people are still starting careers at that age. A big debate in the election this year is whether or not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This ACA covers over 20 million people through the creation of public exchanges and the expansion of Medicaid. The main purpose of the ACA is to aid low income households with their premiums and other costs. Joe Biden would like to expand upon the Affordable Care Act creating a public insurance option for all while Donald Trump deems it necessary to repeal the act as a whole. It is up to you to decide whether you agree with a public, more affordable health insurance option, or strictly privatized insurance companies.
Student Debt Crisis
In recent years, the student debt crisis has only become more and more out of control. In a world that has made it difficult to get by without a college degree in your field of interest, the two candidates have quite varying opinions on the topic. Trump has already put forward his ideas to eliminate subsidized loans, which are offered to low income students because they do not accrue interest during a grace period, as well as proposed repealing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. He has, however, called for more vocational schools 2018, renewed the Carl D. Perkin ds Career and Technical Education Act and eased student loan forgiveness for disabled veterans. But, the budget he plans to implement for 2020 would include a 10% drop in funding for the US Department of Education. Biden has a $750 million-dollar plan, much of which increases federal aid offered and wants to implement two years free of community college to both full and part time students, including DREAMers (DACA recipients). He also would like to forgive at least $10k in federal student loans for each borrower in response to the coronavirus crisis. Biden also has many other loan forgiveness and public college related plans to help support students from lower income families. It is important to do your research on the opinions of the nominees when it comes to student loans and college because before you know it, you may be neck deep in your own student debt.
Reproductive Rights
A highly debated topic recently has been Planned Parenthood, a government funded organization that provides a plethora of services for both women and men. These services include cancer screenings, STD testing/ treatment and contraceptive access for little to no cost for many people. 2.4 million patients rely on Planned Parenthood for these essential services. The one service that overshadows all the others in the eyes of politics is the fact that they do perform abortions. A woman’s right to choose has been a heavily debated topic among politicians and there is a very clear line dividing who is pro-life and who is pro-choice. This debate has led many to want to defund Planned Parenthood altogether simply over the fact that Planned Parenthood performs these procedures and there are opposing views on the matter between Biden and Trump. Many people that utilize Planned Parenthood also use Medicaid insurance which ties into the candidates’ stances on public health insurance. As college students, the cost of healthcare can be extreme, especially in the case of pregnancies. This is the age where more and more people are becoming sexually active, and your number one priority should be staying safe. Getting tested for STDs and other conditions is crucial, but not always affordable. Abortion is an option as it still stands in the case of an unwanted pregnancy. The next candidate will have a big influence on who is in Congress and the Supreme Court, which could affect national abortion laws as well the funding of programs such as Planned Parenthood.
Environmental Concerns
As more and more reports are released about the impending effects of climate change by scientists. Environmental policies are lacking in our current nation, and each candidate has their own plan to help weaken the crisis. Students in college are starting their lives, families and careers. The effects of global climate change could ruin that for everyone. Just this year, millions of acres along the west coast have been destroyed by wildfires, glaciers in the arctic regions are melting quickly, and hurricanes are causing ruin. President Trump tends to undermine the issues and present them as much less scary than they are. He has not made many steps toward environmental policies and is against the Green New Deal. Trump has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, which is a nonbinding and voluntary pledge of over 200 countries to reduce carbon emissions. Joe Biden is not necessarily a fan of the Green New Deal either, but is supportive of many ideas found inside it. Biden proposes spending $2 million toward green energy technology and wants to reach a carbon-free power generation by 2035.
2020 has already been a chaotic year and the election coming up feels like the cherry on top of an extremely messy sundae, but nonetheless, we must make an effort to stand up for what we believe in. Take into consideration all of these important issues when filling out your ballot and make your voices are heard.Â