Harris offers three reasons why she’s better than Trump for economy
By
Naomi Lim
and
Christian Datoc
September 25, 2024 5:00 pm
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PITTSBURGH — Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech Wednesday focusing on the three pillars of her “opportunity economy” agenda, but she largely did not detail new economic proposals as some expected.
Polling suggests Harris is gaining on former President Donald Trump regarding voter trust concerning the economy, though the former president retains his advantage heading into the 2024 general election. Poll participants generally gave the vice president positive remarks on her performance during the September debate but still said they wanted to hear both Harris and Trump explain the specifics of their economic plans.
Harris opened her Wednesday remarks before the Economic Club of Pittsburgh by recounting a number of recent positive economic indicators but conceded to attendees that elevated prices continue to be a problem for families in the United States.
“In many ways, this is what this election is all about. The American people face a choice between two fundamentally very different paths for our economy,” she stated. “I intend to chart a new way forward and grow America’s middle class.”
Although her address was pitched as an opportunity for her to further explain her economic policies, she quickly moved into a critique of Trump after his own economy-focused speech this week in Georgia.
“Donald Trump intends to take America backward to the failed policies of the past. He has no intention to grow our middle class. He’s only interested in making life better for himself and people like himself, the wealthiest of Americans. You can see it spelled out in his economic agenda,” she said. “For Donald Trump, our economy works best if it works for those who own the big skyscrapers. Not those who build them. Not those who wire them. Not those who mop the floors. I have a very different vision.”
The bulk of the vice president’s speech featured promises to build a “strong middle class” and engage in “bold, persistent experimentation,” as coined by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, it failed to substantively outline any new policy proposals, as was expected.
“When the middle class is strong, America is strong, and we can build a stronger middle class, the American economy. We know this here: the American economy is the most powerful force for innovation and wealth creation in human history,” Harris said. “We just need to move past the failed policies that we have proven don’t work.”
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3165764/harris-three-pillars-economic-speech-pittsburgh/
