Kamala Harris continued her campaign on Friday, August 16, in North Carolina, with an optimistic speech that contrasted with Donald Trump’s gloom: “This election, I do strongly believe, is about two very different visions for our nation. One – ours – focused on the future and the other focused on the past.” Notably absent was the term “inflation,” which plagued the Biden-Harris administration before price rises fell below 3% in July, and for which the outgoing administration is partly responsible. The Democratic candidate spoke about the “cost of living,” which she intends to bring down.
In a campaign that will last less than three months, Harris has singled out four expense items, in addition to gasoline, that are of concern to Americans. The first is soaring grocery and food prices, especially bread and meat, which have risen by 50%, according to the candidate, who plans to pass federal legislation to fight price hikes. “More competition means lower prices for you and your families,” she said, emphasizing her role as California attorney general in the fight against “corporate price-gouging.”
The second issue is health care, a hallmark of the current vice president and Joe Biden’s administration, notably imposing a cut of half, or even three-quarters, of essential drugs for seniors insured under the public Medicare system. In another innovation, Harris wants to “cancel the medical debt” of Americans who have been unable to pay for their care.
The third issue is the cost of housing, which soared when Americans moved into single-family homes during the Covid-19 pandemic, and mortgage costs skyrocketed due to inflation and rising interest rates. Harris shared the joy her mother felt when she finally became a homeowner. She proposed a housing construction plan and promised $25,000 (around €22,500) in assistance for first-time buyers.
The fourth is children. The candidate wants to restore pandemic-era tax credits for families who welcome a newborn. “Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a tax cut,” she promised. Trump “fights for billionaires and large corporations. I will fight to give money back to working and middle-class Americans.”
An ‘opportunity economy’
In 28 minutes, the political message was clear: an “opportunity economy.” The speech by the Californian – whose mother is Indian and whose father is Jamaican – was more focused on the “middle class” and the “American dream” than the speech by Biden – who comes from a modest family in Pennsylvania – focused on the working class and unions. The candidate emphasized respect for the rule of law, highlighting her former role as a prosecutor, rather than economic control.
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