Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 10
by Carrie Sheffield
I’m voting for former President Donald Trump because of his record on the economy and foreign policy, but also because – despite what Democrats would have you believe – Trump is better for women than Vice President Kamala Harris. From ensuring retirement security for senior women to improving public safety, promoting small business formation to boosting the gig economy, Trump will do more to improve women’s lives.
While the left focuses on a few combative or inflammatory statements by Trump about women, voters are concentrated on substantive policy. Trump is an equal opportunity rhetorical combatant who doesn’t specifically single out women. And he surrounds himself with powerful, strong women advisers, including Kellyanne Conway, the first successful female campaign manager of a presidential campaign.
The policies of the Biden-Harris administration created extreme financial anxiety for millions of Americans, especially seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. Inflation has been up a cumulative 20% in the first 45 months of President Joe Biden’s administration, compared to 7% cumulative inflation during Trump’s first 45 months, according to the consumer price index. A May 2024 report from Indeed Flex, an online marketplace for workers, found that 30% of retirees are considering working a temporary job. More than 70% cited the cost of living as the reason they must return to work.
Perhaps as a result, close to half of Americans think that there will be “total economic collapse” in the United States in the next decade, according to an October YouGov poll. Gallup reported last month that 52% of voters rating the economy as an “extremely important” influence on their vote for president is the highest since October 2008 during the Great Recession.
A full 74% of women say they worry about an economic downturn, and nearly half say they feel unprepared if the U.S. enters a recession, according to a Bankrate poll conducted in July 2022. Roughly one-third of all women and half of low-income women say their retirement income or savings will not be enough to pay their monthly bills, according to a National Council on Aging survey published in April.
Most women who are struggling – especially women over age 50 – are worried about security and retirement. They’re worried about age discrimination. Many have spent their whole lives in the service of others – raising the kids and taking care of ailing parents – and now they are left struggling themselves.
At Independent Women’s Voice, an advocacy group for women where I serve as a senior policy analyst, our Unsung Hero education campaign connects with women over 55 who feel undervalued and fear they can’t afford to retire or won’t be able to replace their income should they lose their job. We shatter the mirage of Harris’ “joy” as a campaign strategy and highlight the hardship women have faced under the Biden-Harris administration.
In 2022, Harris personally cast the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that’s harming Medicare Part D. University of Chicago economists Casey Mulligan and Tomas Philipson, who both served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration, caution that the IRA’s insurance price controls are making insurance plans unpalatable for insurers, causing them to exit the marketplace and leaving a gaping hole that taxpayers must fill. In addition, the St. Louis Federal Reserve notes that price controls in the long run generally create substantial costs rather than act efficiently.
The IRA “will lead to benefit cuts and premium increases for seniors,” according to Mulligan and Philipson. “Medicare’s popular drug-coverage program is headed for a painful amputation.”
A brighter economic future is possible, however, with a return to Trump in the White House, which will help make America affordable and prosperous again. A second Trump administration would bring down inflation by unleashing American energy production and rolling back costly regulatory red tape.
Trump is also better for price transparency in health care. Women in the United States make approximately 80% of the health care decisions for their families, and lowering prices is key. The Biden-Harris administration has been slow to implement transparency efforts mandated by a Trump administration executive order, even though it could significantly cut health care costs. Too many people fear getting needed medical care because they don’t know what their out-of-pocket costs will be. We need policies that ensure there will be upfront pricing, the ability to show and compare costs and no surprise medical bills.
Trump’s policies encourage hiring and job creation and preserve flexible work opportunities. In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration is trying to destroy independent contractors who supply freelance services to companies without being official employees. Yet 92% of female workers who left full-time roles during the pandemic said they prioritized flexibility over stability in their careers. These jobs also appeal to older workers, most of whom don’t want traditional schedules.
Internationally, we also see the damage of Biden-Harris policies for women. In Afghanistan we witnessed the country’s collapse when America withdrew its military forces in a chaotic fashion in August 2021, instead of implementing an orderly exit under the conditions outlined by the Trump White House, which included a rejection of global terrorist groups and peaceful settlement between the Taliban and the ruling U.S.-backed government. Harris bragged about being “the last person in the room” as that failed withdrawal took place.
Afghan women saw their rights evaporate under the Taliban. U.S. taxpayers lost an $83 billion investment in equipment and training for a free Afghanistan. U.S. military equipment we left behind was used to empower the Taliban’s reemergence. Taliban leaders deny women education and employment and arrest and assault them for protesting their second-class treatment. Tragically, 13 American service members also died in the catastrophic withdrawal.
The choice tomorrow couldn’t be more clear. While Trump is not a perfect candidate, his policy track record, especially for women, is far superior.
Author is a senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Voice, which advocates policy solutions for women, independents and millennials that enhance freedom, opportunities and well-being.
