With the U.S. presidential election coming November 5, the importance of social welfare — such as government-run programs for pensions and health care, known as Social Security and Medicare, along with affordable housing, and support for families — is again in the spotlight.
More than 71 million people in the U.S. received benefits from programs administered in 2023 by the Social Security Administration, which helps retired workers and people with disabilities. But the Social Security Trust Fund and Medicare, a federal health insurance program for the elderly, are running out of funds, and without a new source of funding or cuts in benefits are expected to become insolvent by 2035 and 2036, respectively.
Both candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, have pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare.
But the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released an analysis this week that said, if left unaddressed, Harris’ economic agenda would see Social Security go bankrupt in nine years, while Trump’s agenda would force its insolvency in six years.
Meanwhile, a housing shortage is driving up prices to buy and rent, while high mortgage rates are slowing home sales, and both candidates are discussing ways to help families with the rising cost of raising children
So, how do the two candidates plan to address these issues?
The candidates have stark differences in their social welfare policies that reflect the values of the two dominant political parties in the U.S., the Democratic and Republican parties, on government intervention and personal responsibility.
Harris and the Democratic Party have generally advocated for the government to actively support vulnerable groups and those struggling to get out of cyclical poverty through higher taxes on the wealthy, which they see as key to achieving social equity and promoting economic mobility.
In contrast, Republicans, including Trump, have generally emphasized the importance of individual accountability, market mechanisms and lower taxes to encourage productivity, arguing that too much government intervention will weaken the economy.
But there is some overlap, especially when it comes to helping families.
VOA Mandarin has compiled the positions and views of the two candidates on Social Security and Medicare, affordable housing and supporting families:
Social Security and Medicare
Trump's policy: Trump wants to ensure the sustainability of Social Security and Medicare through economic growth, which he hopes to boost by lowering taxes and reducing what he calls “unnecessary” government spending by increasing the privatization options of the health care system to fuel market competition to reduce costs. He also advocates for eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, arguing that older people should not pay taxes on their benefits. Critics say this will make it even harder to pay for the program.
Harris' policy: Harris wants to expand Social Security benefits through the Social Security Expansion Act, which proposes raising minimum benefits and adjusting how the cost of living is calculated. She also advocates for long-term home care to be included in Medicare to ease the burden on families caring for the elderly and children. Critics say expanding the programs will make it even harder to pay for them. Harris’ policy continues the Biden administration's stance of raising taxes on wealthy individuals earning more than $400,000 annually to secure funding for Social Security and Medicare. Harris also says health care costs can be controlled through drug price negotiations and reducing fraud.
Housing
Trump's policy: Trump wants to promote housing market development by reducing building and land-use regulations to increase the housing supply and reduce home buying costs through competition. He opposes construction of low-income housing in traditional single-family housing areas and blames some of the high housing costs on inflation and illegal immigration, both of which he says he’ll reduce if elected, including through mass deportations. Critics argue that housing prices spiked with rising interest rates and high demand during the COVID pandemic and say mass deportations would only worsen the supply problem as much of the construction labor force consists of immigrants.
Harris' policy: Harris advocates for tax incentives and increased federal funding to support affordable housing construction that markets are not serving and says her plan will add 3 million new homes within the next four years. She supports a $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and restricting companies from large-scale acquisitions of residential properties to combat speculation and protect the housing needs of ordinary families. Critics argue that low-income housing reduces nearby property values and that raising subsidies for home purchases could drive up demand and lead to higher housing prices.
Helping families
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Trump's policy: Trump as president temporarily raised the CTC, from $1,000 to $2,000 per child in 2017 and expanded the income cap to make more families eligible, but the expanded program expires in 2025. If elected again, Trump says he’ll make this policy permanent. However, a key requirement is that only households making income are entitled to the tax credit as Trump believes it incentivizes people to work. Critics say it's unfair to unemployed parents who are already struggling.
Harris' policy: Harris wants to reinstate and expand the CTC to families without income so that all families with newborns receive a $6,000 tax credit per child, those with children aged 1-6 get $3,600 per year for each child, and those with children aged 7-17 receive $3,000 per child. Critics say the subsidy would weaken incentives for unemployed parents to find work.
Paid family leave
Trump's policy: Candidate Trump’s policy on family leave — to take care of a child, or sick relative or personal medical issue — is not so clear, though his campaign says he supports it. As president, he signed into law 12 weeks of such paid leave for federal employees and a tax credit for companies that give low-income workers paid family leave.
Harris' policy: Harris supports 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for all employees that would be funded through a payroll tax shared between employers and employees.
Childcare costs
Trump's policy: In September, Trump suggested revenue from tariff increases could raise money to support childcare, and his running mate, JD Vance, has suggested more family members, such as grandparents, should be involved in family childcare to reduce expenses.
Harris' policy: Harris proposed capping family spending on childcare for low-income workers to 7% of household income and raising the level of wages for childcare workers while lowering the cost of care.
Critics note that neither candidate has provided details of their plans.
Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
