WEEK 2
Economy / Immigration / Environment
BREAKING NEWS
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian militants led a large-scale attack against Israel from Gaza. The invasion was carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. In response, Israel has declared war and launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” striking suspected Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza. This declaration gives the green light for Israel to take “significant military steps” against Hamas. Israel and Palestine have a long and complex history of conflict. Many international organizations and committees have concluded that the Israeli government has illegally occupied and maintained control of the West Bank and Gaza since 1967. Current tallies state that 22 Americans died in the most recent events. President Biden and the United States have expressed support of Israel. There will be more information to come soon.
DONALD TRUMP
Republican Primaries
In a recent interview with Republican primary candidate Donald Trump, the former president was asked about his stances on the economy, immigration, and the environment. Here’s what the former president had to say:
The Economy
Regarding the economy, Trump stated, “it is all about growth and creating jobs.” He emphasized the importance of reducing regulations to create a business-friendly environment and advocated for tax cuts for both individuals and corporations. According to Trump, “By promoting a business friendly environment, we can create an economy that benefits everyone.”
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Immigration
When asked about immigration, Trump maintained his strong stance on secure borders, explaining, “I believe in an immigration system that prioritizes those who can contribute to our society.” Trump further stated, “[the border] needs to be well-protected” and “immigration issues can be solved with enhanced security and a fair and efficient immigration process."
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The Environment
Regarding the environment, Trump acknowledged climate change as a real concern. He explained his plan to “support clean energy development,” but also emphasized the "balance [between] environmental protection [and] economic growth.”
RON DESANTIS
Republican Primaries
As we launch into our second week of the election simulation, we conducted an exclusive interview with Governor Ron DeSantis, running as a Republican primary candidate for the 2024 presidential election. We asked for his stance on the following issues: immigration, the economy, and the environment.
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Immigration
Ron DeSantis asserts his stance on immigration is to establish stricter border security measures. He aims to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement in order to strengthen our implemented laws. In regards to the border, he states, “It is urgent that we must finish building the southern border wall.” DeSantis feels strongly about addressing these issues and plans to “end the automatic granting of U.S. citizenship to individuals born in the country” to help combat illegal immigration.
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Economy
One of the most important issues in our country, the economy. A growing concern for many Americans, especially as inflation rates have been high. In regards to our country’s finances, DeSantia strives to lower taxes in order to stimulate economic growth. Another central focus of his economic stance is to reduce government regulations on businesses which in turn would encourage the creation of new jobs to further employ the country. In regards to how he will achieve this and improve the economy, he says, “I will incentivize investment, eliminate bureaucracy and mandate work requirements. I will achieve 3% economic growth by slashing regulations.”
Environment
To wrap up our interview with Ron DeSantis, we asked about our final central focus, the issue of the environment. He was a supporter of resilience efforts for Florida’s coastal areas, but he does not want to prioritize climate action above all else: “Climate change will occur with or without us taking action.” And so how will we address the climate issue? He assures us that “climate change is a natural process without being accelerated by human behavior, like the burning of fossil fuels,” and so no action is necessary!
BREAKING
NEWS
Will Hurd dropped out of the presidential primaries on Monday. In his statement, he warned against Trump and his behavior, instead endorsing candidate Nikki Haley.
VIVEK RAMASWAMY
Republican Primaries
Immigration:
Vivek Ramaswamy staunchly opposes illegal immigration but fully supports immigrants who enter the country legally. He hopes to secure the southern border by any means necessary, including through military force. For example, one of Ramaswamy’s 10 truths says, “An open border is no border”, reflecting Ramaswamy’s belief that the current border is utterly ineffective. Ramaswamy also hopes to end birthright citizenship granted to those born to illegal immigrants on US soil. As Ramaswamy himself says, “Anyone who enters illegally into our country is not a real immigrant.” He also aims to strip voting rights of 18-24-year-olds should they fail to pass a civics test (an exam on the knowledge of US history and government).
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Economy:
Ramaswamy supports limited government intervention, lower unemployment rates, and economic independence. He wants to bring back all the jobs for Americans and remove our “economic dependence” on China. He has also advocated for a flat tax rate for income. Additionally, Ramaswamy has called for the US Federal Reserve to stabilize the dollar in relation to the price of commodities, rather than to the consumer price index. This essentially means the dollar would be tied to the price of a specific commodity like gold or silver, making currency fixed and stable, rather than aiming to reach a certain level of inflation to stabilize currency. He also opposes CBCDs (central bank digital currencies) with the thought that they could act as gateways for the government to have greater control over the people. His overarching goal is to achieve a greater than 5% GDP (gross domestic product) growth.
Environment:
Ramaswamy believes in climate change but he strictly does not believe in the climate change agenda. In two of his 10 truths, Ramaswamy addresses his approach to harnessing energy. One is “Human flourishing requires fossil fuels” and another is “The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.” He strongly supports using fossil fuels, fracking (a process that releases natural gasses and oils from geological formations) and burning coal, etc. Ramaswamy acknowledges the changes to our environment over the past several decades but opposes the corruption and unjust practices on the part of the radical left. In a statement, he said, “They are mixing pressing matters with politics, and their climate change policies have caused more harm than actual climate change itself.” It is his firm belief that bad climate change policies are to blame more than climate change itself.
NIKKI HALEY
Republican Primaries
Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is one of the 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls. As we learn more about Haley’s policies, below are her stances on the economy, immigration, and the environment. ​
Economy
Haley believes in cutting taxes for the middle class and reducing spending by the government. Her main goal is to improve the situation surrounding the United States’ debt. As she publicly stated on her social media account, Haley wants to “fix our taxation system by eliminating the federal gas tax, reducing income tax rates, [and] making small-business tax relief permanent.”​
Immigration
In an interview with Haley at the Election Simulation Kick-Off Rally, she stated that, “I do not want to shut down the borders [completely], but I do believe that we need to limit a little bit of the access of immigrants. As well as [require] documentation on them at all times. I am personally from two immigrant parents from India so I believe in the fact that immigrants deserve to have a chance in this country and to live out the American dream.” However, she believes in immigrants entering the United States in a legal way, and only those who do, have access to employment.​
Environment
Haley does not believe that climate change is a hoax, and plans to address the issues of climate change “by implementing carbon capture technology (capturing carbon emissions rather than reducing or eliminating them at the source) in addition to planting more trees,” as she publicly stated on her social media account.
MIKE PENCE
Republican Primaries
Economy
Mike Pence recognizes the clear issues with the economy. He claims that bidenflation is killing the American dollar and plans to address these issues in his presidency. He states, “My plan to fix the economy is to make the US energy independent, which will increase jobs, increase independence, and should revitalize the economy, as well as decrease the influence of China.” He also wants to increase American goods that are manufactured within the U.S and claims, “I will not do it through new tariffs because we had tariffs and most of them proved not to work. I will be moving away from tariffs in my presidency.”
Immigration
Mike Pence supports legal immigration. He wants to, “defend our border and limit the amount of people let into our country.” He will address these issues through legislature and executive orders.
Environment
Mike Pences is aware that the U.S is a major manufacturer of coal. He states, “one thing the democrats don't like to tell people is that most of the coal they end up mining is shipped to china, so the democrats just make the system look green, but they are moving the problem somewhere else.” As president, Mike Pence plans to have all of the above energy options, which will, “increase green nuclear and traditional sources of energy.” He also states, “most republicans are not well known for their climate change agenda, but given all the storms and environmental issues we had in the past year, we have to admit that climate change is real.”
CHRIS CHRISTIE
Republican Primaries
As we step into this week of the election sim there is a lot more news to report about each candidate. This week our school’s candidates addressed the economy, immigration, and the environment. I spoke to Chris Christie about these issues.​
Economy:
Christie’s belief is that the government is spending too much money on programs that don’t need it. He said “Changes to the programs are necessary, otherwise they could run out of money for everyone in about a decade as the country faces a rising national debt”. Christie believes that by cutting government spending we can reduce inflation and stop giving false promises to the American people. His solution to this is by raising benefits at a younger age as he has proposed raising the Social Security benefits age for Americans currently under 50 years old.
​Immigration:
As do many of his opponents Christie had a very hard stance on immigration, aiming to stop all illegal immigration into America. He has stated that his first action if elected to the White House will be to sign an executive order to send the National Guard to the border. He criticized Trump’s border wall stating that “This disaster at the border is just as much his fault as it is Joe Biden’s”. Christie has made this a focal point of his campaign, aiming to do his best to end the border crisis. ​
Environment:
Lastly, I asked Christie about his stance on the environment. Christie believes that “We can't disarm ourselves economically while we convert to cleaner energy,”. Overall, Christie is willing to support clean energy if it is able to benefit the American economy the way our other forms of energy presently do. He also believes Americans should rely less on energy from outside of the U.S, namely bringing up how oil production should increase on American soil.
TIM SCOTT
Republican Primaries
Economy
Scott believes that the U.S. government is too heavily regulating free markets and the economy. He plans to create “a regulatory environment where business can prosper.” Scott has also expressed a desire to alleviate taxes on small businesses.
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Immigration
Scott plans to enforce tighter restrictions on immigrants entering the country through the southern border through reforming the immigrant processing system. He also aims to get rid of sanctuary cities. He notably voted against the Immigration Reform Act of 2013, which passed with a vote of 68 to 32.
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The Environment
Scott has previously acknowledged climate change as being a prominent issue. In the past, however, he has opposed legislation that would cut carbon dioxide emissions. His new economic plan includes details for doubling domestic nuclear energy production within the next two years, a project that is carbon-free. This includes an increase in oil and gas-based projects.
DOUG BURGUM
Republican Primaries
Economy
Burgum strongly believes that America’s current economy is in shambles and Biden’s actions will push the people into a recession. If elected into office, Burgum states he will “cut taxes on the American people, decrease regulations on big corporations, lower the cost of living, lower housing prices, lower everything” to fix the economy. He also commented, “North Dakota has implemented the biggest tax cut in history for a state. We are giving back to the people instead of the government and IRS.” He later went on to remark that the current economy is worse than America’s past economy during the pandemic. Burgum wishes to continue the strong economy fostered through Trump’s actions. ​
Immigration
When Burgum was questioned about his stance on immigration, he immediately steered the conversation towards legal immigration. Burgum wants to reform the process of legal immigration, making it easier for immigrants to legally enter the country. He elaborated on his thoughts on immigration, saying, “But before we can do that, we have to solve the border crisis in Mexico.” The candidate wants to crack down on illegal immigration by stationing more troops and building a wall at the border. ​
The Environment
Burgum claims he is “the most pro-environment candidate running for president.” Burgum supports the usage of fossil fuels because he doubts they can be replaced immediately and sees the economic impact of the fossil fuel industry. Instead, he encourages the implementation of zero-carbon policies. Burgum quoted a bill he signed as governor of South Dakota that states South Dakota will be carbon-free by 2030 while supporting the fossil fuel industry. Burgum sees Biden’s actions to switch over to electric cars as radical and implemented poorly, believing it led to the UAW strike.
ASA HUTCHINSON
Republican Primaries
In a recent interview with Asa Hutchinson, he gave his political views on the topics of week two: the economy, immigration, and environment.​
Economy:
When asked how he plans on improving the economy, Hutchinson stated, “I will work to ensure that everyone who can work will work. This includes requiring able-bodied people on federal welfare to be employed and eliminating penalties for those who work past age 62. Next, I will better monitor the nation’s revenue and spending, ensuring that we can lower taxes for the working class.” This reflects his understanding of the working class people and his upbringing from a lower-middle class family. ​
Immigration:
One of Hutchinson’s strengths is his extensive political experience, “As a former secretary of Homeland Security, I have had firsthand experience on how to operate safe, legal immigration. During my work, though, I noticed how legal immigration has become so challenging that illegal immigration has grown common. Therefore, as president, I will work to drastically decrease the time it takes for people to acquire Visas, by giving states the power to grant visas, while strengthening the southern border with increased security and funding.” He believes that immigration should be done the right way, under proper procedures. He supports immigration but not illegally like what is happening on the southern border. ​
Environment:
Though Hutchinson does believe in climate change, he is not in support of government intervention with the environment stating, “I do not believe that the government should actively play a role in transitioning America from relying on fossil fuels to renewable energy. The private sector should manage this switch, and the government should continue supporting pre-approved pipeline, drilling, and nuclear projects.” This shows his economy and financial gain first point of view and belief that funds could be better allocated in different ways.
MARILYN MILLER
NYC City Council, District 27
A former New York City police officer with experience working in the U.S. District Court, Marilyn Miller is a Republican candidate running for New York City Council, representing District 27. To get to know Miller better, below are her stances on the economy, immigration, and the environment.​
Economy
Miller wants to promote economic growth with a focus on lowering taxes. Her plan is to “reduce property taxes to ease the burden on homeowners and encourage investment in the housing market,” as she shared with Hawx News. Miller also wants to promote the increase of businesses and entrepreneurship, especially those that operate in the city, by “advocating for business-friendly policies to attract new enterprises, which will generate jobs and increase tax revenues.” She also wants accountability for the use of tax dollars, with the plan of “implementing responsible budgeting practices to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently.”​
Immigration
Miller believes in legal immigration, including “supporting legal pathways for immigration, advocating for streamlined immigration processes, and encouraging immigrants to navigate legal channels,” she wrote to Hawx News. She also believes that immigrants should be provided with access to healthcare. Miller wants to provide “job training programs for immigrants,” as well as “improve language and literacy programs for immigrants,” all which contribute to what Miller is focused on: encouraging immigrants to be active members of their community.​
Environment
Miller is a proponent of environmental protection, hoping to “expand recycling programs to reduce landfill waste,” as well as “promoting responsible environmental policies that balance economic growth with sustainability,” as she shared with Hawx News. She also wants to make sure that conservation and preservation are key aspects of environmental protection, “encouraging conservation efforts… and promoting responsible land use planning to protect natural habitats and green spaces.” For local communities, Miller wants to work on “partnering with local organizations for voluntary conservation efforts and community clean-up initiatives.”
DANIELLA MAY
NYC City Council, District 31
Economy
May believes the economy is in ruins through Biden’s actions stating, “Joe, you’re doing a good enough job at wrecking the economy all by yourself.” May has expressed interest in rebuilding the economy of her communities. She has founded a nonprofit organization called Agenda700, which strives to improve financial literacy. May pushes for improving the financial opportunities of others by advising how to fix credit scores. This candidate supports the creation of jobs. Also, she endorses black businesses and entrepreneurs.
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Immigration
May believes homeless and veterans deserve more support and focus compared to immigrants. She said, “Homeless Americans should come first Migrants second!” She discourages the building of “migrant hotels” and the allocation of spaces in tent shelters for immigrants.
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The Environment
The candidate has not made her stance on the environment public.