Comparing Trump's and Clinton's Stances on Economic Issues

This is a week of economy-themed campaign schedules.

ByABC News
August 8, 2016, 1:20 PM

— -- The future of the economy is going to be at the center of the 2016 campaign this week, as Donald Trump gave a major speech on the topic today and Hillary Clinton will share her views days later.

When it comes to specifics, Clinton's campaign website goes into more detail. Trump's campaign website lists six policy positions, one of which relates directly to the economy, while Clinton has a page dedicated to the economy and jobs that breaks the topic into 17 sections.

That said, Trump has addressed economy-related topics in speeches and public comments, as he is expected to do today.

Here is a rundown of where the two candidates line up on certain hot-button economic topics.

Taxes and Tax Cuts

Trump has adjusted his language when it comes to specifics on his tax reform plan over the past few months.

The plan, which was released in September, proposed cutting the nation's wealthiest earners' income tax rate from the current 39.6 percent to 25 percent.

But his comments on the topic in subsequent interviews have caused some confusion.

"They will go up a little bit," Trump said in a May 8 interview on ABC News' "This Week."

"No, no, on my plan they're going down. But by the time it's negotiated, they'll go up. Look, what I'm negotiating with the Democrats, I'm putting in a plan. I'm putting in my optimum plan. It's going to be negotiated," he said.

"By the time it gets negotiated, it's going to be a different plan. That's what I'd like to get, and we'll fight for it. But from a practical standpoint, it's going to get renegotiated. And in my opinion, the taxes for the rich will go up somewhat."

The page on his website dedicated to his tax reform plan has since been removed.

As for Clinton, she has vowed not to raise taxes on the middle class but would attempt to raise them on the wealthy. Raising taxes on the wealthy is how she plans to fund many of her plans, including infrastructure development and other areas.

She plans to enact a tax surcharge on multimillionaires, according to her campaign.

"Expanding on the central idea of the 'Buffett rule,' she called for imposing a 4 percent 'fair share surcharge' on Americans who make more than $5 million per year — a measure that would only affect the top 0.02 percent of taxpayers," her campaign's release on the proposal states. The Buffett rule was part of President Barack Obama's proposed 2011 tax plan that would have applied a minimum tax rate of 30 percent on people who make more than $1 million a year; Congress has rejected the proposal.

Minimum Wage

During the fourth prime-time Republican primary debate, Trump was asked whether he plans to raise the minimum wage, and he replied, "I would not do it," which was met with applause.

Six months later, however, during an interview on ABC News' "This Week," he said he is "looking at it, and I haven't decided in terms of numbers. But I think that people have to get more."

He added, "Well, sure, it's a change. I'm allowed to change. You need flexibility."

Clinton has been consistently in favor of raising the federal minimum wage.

PHOTO: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks to a boisterous crowd at a rally with about 1,400 people at the IBEW Local 357 Hall, Aug. 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks to a boisterous crowd at a rally with about 1,400 people at the IBEW Local 357 Hall, Aug. 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Throughout the campaign, she has said she wants the federal minimum wage raised from $7.25 an hour to $12, with exceptions for some cities, where it would be $15 because of higher costs of living. But, largely because of efforts by her former rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Party platform sets a goal of $15 nationally.

Paid Family Leave and Equal Pay

Clinton has regularly spoken about the need for paid family and medical leave as well as equal pay for women. But the most prominent discussion of the topic during Trump's campaign came last month during the Republican convention when his daughter introduced him.

Trump has not spoken about any of those issues during his 14-month presidential campaign, but Ivanka Trump declared that they would be positions that she will hold him to if he is elected president.

PHOTO: Ivanka Trump introduces her father GOP nominee Donald Trump for his acceptance speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 21, 2016.
Ivanka Trump introduces her father GOP nominee Donald Trump for his acceptance speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on July 21, 2016.

"As president, my father will change the labor laws that were put into place at a time when women were not a significant portion of the workforce," she said on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last month. "And he will focus on making quality child care affordable and accessible for all."

She said, "He will fight for equal pay for equal work, and I will fight for this too, right alongside of him."

During his speech today, Donald Trump proposed excluding child care expenses from taxation.

Clinton, by contrast, has specified that she will be working to guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for new mothers or to care for ill relatives — which would be funded by her tax surcharge on multimillionaires.

Talking TPP

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been one of the most controversial issues on the Democratic side.

Clinton has said she is against it, but she helped craft parts of it as secretary of state. She said that after she saw the final draft, when she was a presidential candidate, she opposed it because it didn't meet her standards.

Her running mate, Tim Kaine, meanwhile, has been in favor of it, but a Clinton aide told ABC News that the Virginia senator will now oppose it.

Trump has spoken out against the TPP frequently during the campaign -- including today -- and has previously said he sees it as a way for China to get an economic advantage.

"The TPP would lower tariffs on foreign cars while leaving in place the foreign practices that keep American cars from being sold overseas. That's not all. Mark my words, China will enter the TPP through the back door at a later date," he said during a speech on globalization in June. "They are watching. They are studying. They're not in it now, but they're going to be in it. If it's good, they'll be there. By the way, if it's no good, they'll pass. Same way, always is."

PHOTO: Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech on his economic policy at the Alumisourse Building in Monessen, Penn., June 28, 2016.
Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech on his economic policy at the Alumisourse Building in Monessen, Penn., June 28, 2016.

Infrastructure Expansion

During that speech, which he delivered at an aluminum factory in Pennsylvania, Trump said that infrastructure development would be expanded during a Trump presidency but did not give specifics.

"A Trump administration will also ensure that we start using American steel for American infrastructure. And aluminum," he said.

"It will be American steel that will fortify American's crumbling bridges ... It will be American steel that sends our skyscrapers soaring, soaring into the sky, beautiful sight, more beautiful with American steel. It will be American steel that rebuilds our inner cities."

Clinton has proposed a $275 billion five-year infrastructure plan that would be paid for by business tax reform.

"Estimates of the size of our 'infrastructure gap' register in the trillions of dollars. Workers can't get to work, congestion keeps parents stuck in traffic, floods threaten our cities, and airports leave travelers stranded for hours or even days at a time," her campaign website states.

ABC News' Candace Smith and John Santucci contributed to this report.

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