Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' economic agenda is explored through her past actions, including her tax plans, support for renters, and challenges to big banks while Attorney General. The podcast delves into her stance on trade deals and commitment to supporting unions and the middle class.
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Quick takeaways
Kamala Harris prioritizes tax increases on the wealthy, favors working-class tax benefits.
Harris emphasizes environmental concerns in trade agreements, takes cautious stance on trade policies.
Deep dives
Kamala Harris's Tax Policy Proposal
Kamala Harris proposed increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations in her 2019 presidential campaign, advocating for a tax code that favors working individuals over the affluent. She aimed to overturn the tax cuts implemented by the Trump administration, particularly emphasizing a corporate tax rate returning to its original 35 percent. Additionally, Harris planned to provide tax credits to families earning less than $100,000 annually and support measures like renter assistance and salary raises for teachers, positioning herself as center-left on economic policies.
Kamala Harris's Stance on Trade Deals
Examining her voting history on trade agreements like the USMCA, Kamala Harris displayed a propensity to prioritize environmental concerns over trade deal ratification. Despite not being outright protectionist, she consistently opposed trade deals when they lacked substantial environmental or labor protections, aligning her stance with a cautious, issue-driven approach to trade policy.
Kamala Harris's Economic Advocacy as Attorney General
During her tenure as California's Attorney General, Kamala Harris showcased a commitment to protecting homeowners during the mortgage crisis, negotiating for significantly higher debt relief sums than initially offered by banks. Her advocacy led to the implementation of the California Homeowners' Bill of Rights, expanding protections for struggling homeowners and exemplifying a pro-consumer, populist approach to financial matters.
Last weekend we were all thrown for a loop when President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Kamala Harris for the nomination. Just like everyone else, we are trying to quickly wrap our heads around what it means now that Harris is almost certainly going to be the Democratic nominee for president.
We expect to see the Harris campaign come out with some official policy proposals in the coming weeks and months. But for now, all we've got are clues, little breadcrumbs that she has dropped throughout her career that might lead us to a rough idea of what economic policies she might support.
Today on the show, we're going to visit three key moments from Harris' political career that might give us an idea of how her economic agenda might look. First, the 2019 presidential primary debates, where she laid out her own economic policies. Next, a vote in her Senate years that shows where she might fall on future trade agreements. And finally, a fight with some of the country's biggest banks from her very first year as Attorney General of California.
This episode was hosted by Keith Romer and Nick Fountain. It was produced by Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang with help from Meg Cramer, and fact checked by Sierra Juarez and Sofia Shchukina. Engineering by Kwesi Lee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.