Vice President Kamala Harris is refocusing her economic message as she emerges as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, emphasizing ending child poverty, promoting labor unions, reducing healthcare and childcare costs, and protecting retirees’ dignity.
Why it matters: Republicans are targeting Harris on inflation, a significant issue that has beleaguered the Biden administration, as she steps into the role of the Democratic nominee.
The details:
- Harris has avoided mentioning “inflation” directly in her recent speeches.
- She is expected to align with Biden’s 2025 budget proposal, which includes increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.
- Positive economic news, such as a 2.8% annual growth rate in the second quarter and easing inflation measures, has coincided with Harris’s emergence as the nominee.
Republicans, led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, argue that Harris owns the administration’s record and is responsible for the past four years of perceived failures.
What they’re saying:
- “Vice President Harris owns this administration’s record. Her fingerprints are all over the past four years of failure.” – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
- “She’s a capitalist at heart — she wants businesses to do well, but she recognizes that the scales have been tipped toward them during the Trump administration. In her view, she wants to even the playing field.” – Yasmin Nelson, former senior adviser to Harris
The other side: Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, portray Harris as more liberal than Biden, particularly on energy policy, and argue that her policies could harm American manufacturing and the energy sector.
What’s next: As the campaign progresses, Harris will need to clearly define her economic policy positions and address the criticisms levied by her opponents while inheriting the economic legacy of the Biden administration.
Full story
Vice President Kamala Harris is shifting her economic message as she emerges as the likely Democratic presidential nominee. She is emphasizing ending child poverty, promoting labor unions, reducing healthcare and childcare costs, and protecting retirees’ dignity. Republicans are targeting Harris on inflation, a problem they previously blamed on President Joe Biden.
With only 100 days until Election Day, we need all hands on deck to elect @KamalaHarris, defeat Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, and protect our fundamental freedoms.
Check your voter registration at https://t.co/Hy8C4mIL2M.
Let’s get to work. pic.twitter.com/STENSy0Hym
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 28, 2024
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated, “Vice President Harris owns this administration’s record. Her fingerprints are all over the past four years of failure.”
Election Day is 100 days away and there’s never been more at stake.
Let’s get @KamalaHarris to the White House. pic.twitter.com/Pm22yFNJMo
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 28, 2024
Over the last year:
Inflation has come down to 2.5%.
The economy has grown 3.1%.
We’ve created 2.6 million jobs.
Wages are rising faster than prices.
The Biden-Harris economic agenda is delivering for working families. pic.twitter.com/jVOdnsAobK
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 28, 2024
However, some officials believe criticism over inflation may not stick to Harris, as she is seen as a fresh voice compared to Donald Trump or Biden. Harris is expected to align with Biden’s 2025 budget proposal, which includes increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.
Positive economic news has coincided with Harris’s emergence as the Democratic nominee. The Commerce Department reported a 2.8% annual growth rate in the second quarter, and inflation measures have eased.
Harris addresses economic challenges ahead
Analysts expect a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September. Yasmin Nelson, a former senior adviser to Harris, said her work as a prosecutor has instilled a sense of fairness in her economic policies. “She’s a capitalist at heart — she wants businesses to do well, but she recognizes that the scales have been tipped toward them during the Trump administration.
In her view, she wants to even the playing field.”
Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, are portraying Harris as more liberal than Biden, particularly on energy policy. They have called Harris “the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history” and argue that her policies could harm American manufacturing and the energy sector.
The Trump campaign has also revived Harris’ statements from her 2020 presidential run, highlighting her stances on banning plastic straws, offshore oil drilling, and fracking for oil and natural gas. As the campaign progresses, Harris will need to clearly define her economic policy positions and address the criticisms levied by her opponents.
- APNews.”Harris freshens up her message on the economy as Trump and Republicans go after her on inflation”.
- CNN.”The US economy Kamala Harris inherits and how she may run on it”.
- NewYorker.”Kamala Harris and the Legacy of Bidenomics”.