The Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has pledged to “reduce costs and increase economic security for all Americans” in one of her first significant political speeches during her presidential campaign in the United States. The American Vice President, who secured the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month, presented a series of proposals in North Carolina that she believes would help stimulate the economy and combat rising food prices.
“I will be laser-focused on creating opportunities for the middle class,” said Harris to a gathering of supporters. “Together, we will build what I call an economy of opportunity.” The plan includes efforts to halt so-called grocery price increases, with Harris stating that she would seek to enact a “first-ever federal prohibition” against this practice.
She also proposed a program that would provide $25,000 in assistance to some first-time homebuyers, as well as tax breaks for building affordable housing. Additionally, Harris supported a $6,000 tax deduction for children in their first year of life and an earned income tax credit for low-income individuals without children. She also renewed Biden’s promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
The speech came at the same time as former President Donald Trump’s campaign has been focusing on the economy in its attacks on Harris. The Republican candidate has labeled Harris as “a radical liberal from California who has destroyed the economy.” Trump delivered his own economic vision in North Carolina earlier this week, where he made grand promises to “defeat inflation,” end “job-killing regulations,” and implement a level of economic prosperity that would “pay off our debt.”
Trump’s 75-minute speech, which often veered into critiques of Biden’s decision to withdraw, has resonated with voters. However, polls have shown that voters are more likely to trust Trump with the economy than Harris. A poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicated that 45 percent of respondents believed Trump was better at handling the economy, while 38 percent felt the same about Harris.
About one in ten voters said they did not trust either Harris or Trump to better manage the economy. The competing speeches occur as the American economy continues to struggle with high prices following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although inflation has reached its lowest level in more than three years, food prices remain 21 percent higher than previous years. Rental and housing costs have also continued to rise, and some economists have warned of an impending recession.
Harris presented her plan as part of a blitz effort in battleground states, where she has sought to capitalize on the excitement that followed her sudden entry into the race. She was officially nominated by the Democratic Party in a virtual vote earlier this month, and next week she will formally accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Biden, 81, had been the presumptive Democratic candidate until last month when he withdrew from the race after a disastrous debate performance against Trump that heightened concerns about his age.