Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her economic plans for the United States, which she coined would create an “opportunity economy.” During a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, August 16, the 59-year-old Democrat emphasized that she would put the middle class first if elected president in November.
“I know what home ownership means. It’s more than a financial transaction. It’s so much more than that,” Harris explained. “It’s a symbol of the pride that comes with hard work. It’s financial security. It represents what you will be able to do for your children.”
While pointing out that home ownership is “out of reach for far too many American families,” Harris noted that as president, she plans to “work in partnership with industry to build the housing we need both to rent and to buy.”
Harris also highlighted her socioeconomic background growing up, noting that her family “were renters.” As she recalled working at a McDonald’s in the past, the former prosecutor acknowledged her former coworkers, who were raising families while maintaining multiple jobs.
“They worked second or third jobs to pay rent or buy food,” Harris said, before pointing out, “That only gets harder when the cost of living goes up. … Look, the bills add up: food, rent, gas, back-to-school clothes, prescription medication. After all that, for many families, there’s not much left at the end of the month.”
Elsewhere in her speech, the Oakland, California, native claimed the current presidential election “is about two very different visions for our nation.” Harris then named her opponent, Republican candidate Donald Trump, accusing him of planning to “devastate the middle class, punish working people and make the cost of living go up for millions of Americans.”
“I will address in greater detail my plans to build an opportunity economy, and today, I will focus on one element that’s on the minds of many Americans as they pay their bills at the kitchen table or walk the aisles of a grocery store, and that is lowering the cost of living,” Harris added.
Harris’ presidential campaign kicked into high gear just hours after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race last month. Weeks leading up to his announcement, Democrats and celebrities urged the 81-year-old to step down from the race. Many cited his age as a concern.
As the race to the White House continues, Harris and Trump, 78, are scheduled for their highly anticipated debate on Thursday, September 10.
