PITTSBURGH — Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled her economic plan at Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday, with an emphasis on helping the middle class. And while much of the speech focused on policy initiatives Harris has previously unveiled, she did draw a contrast between her plans and those of her opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“For Donald Trump, our economy works best when it works for those who own the big towers, not those who actually build them. Not those who wire them. Not those who mop the floors,” she said. “He’s only interested in making life better for himself and people like him, the wealthiest Americans.”
Harris said that under her plan, more than 100 million Americans would receive a middle-class tax credit that includes $6,000 for novel parents in the first year of their child’s life, “to cover everything from car seats to cribs.”
She added that she also wants to cut the costs of child and elder care and ensure that all working people have access to paid leave.
“This will help everyone who is taking care of children, taking care of aging parents,” Harris said. “And the sandwich generation that is taking care of both.”
Her plan also calls for tax breaks for companies that add union jobs. “We shouldn’t be constrained by ideology, and instead we should be looking for practical solutions to problems,” Harris said.
She reiterated her plan to give petite businesses a $50,000 tax break and raise the nation’s housing supply. Harris also said she wants to cut red tape to build faster.
“Down “To paraphrase Warren Buffett, since our country’s founding, there has been no incubator that can unleash human potential like America,” she said.
Trump said he wants to take the country backward while her plan would allow it to grow.
“There is an old saying that the best way to predict the future is to invent it,” she said.
Harris praised Pittsburgh and CMU for their machine learning programs and robotics center, the largest in the U.S. She added that she would like to see those industries expand.
“Pittsburgh’s proud heritage clearly reflects the character of our nation,” she said.
Harris also said she wants to eliminate unnecessary degree requirements while increasing skills. It’s an idea Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has already implemented in the Keystone State; his first executive order after taking office was eliminate the requirement for a degreet for thousands of government jobs.
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, a native of suburban Pittsburgh, attended the speech and praised Harris’ initiatives.
“Donald is just so impulsive and impulsive in everything he says about politics,” Cuban told reporters after Harris’ speech. “You could tell that Kamala Harris’ team vetted every single thing she said. Not just ‘does it sound good, does it poll well,’ but is it good, strong policy.”
Harris’ speech came the day after Trump showed up in Georgia detailed his economic plans, including imposing tariffs on exports, with a particular focus on China. He promised a 100% tariff on cars imported from Mexico and said he wanted to cut taxes for companies that have their manufacturing headquarters in the U.S., which he said would lead to a “manufacturing renaissance.”
Harris has criticized Trump’s economic plans in her remarks, saying his proposals would hurt the middle class. “In fact, his economic agenda will actually raise prices.” She pointed to recent survey among economists by the Financial Times and the University of Chicago, where 70% said Trump’s economic policies would likely cause inflation, but only 3% said that would be the case with Harris.
Trump unveils economic plan in Savannah, insults Democrats, praises Kemp
Trump’s campaign criticized Harris’s Wednesday speech.
“She had three and a half years to prove herself, and she failed. Personal savings are down, credit card debt is up, petite business optimism is at an all-time low, and people are struggling to buy homes, groceries, and gas,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, said in a statement. “Every time Kamala speaks, it becomes clearer that only a President Trump will make America rich again.”
Both presidential candidates have spent significant time in Pennsylvania, a swing state that went from Barack Obama to Trump to President Joe Biden in recent elections. Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes make it a must-win state for either candidate.
Latest polls show the candidates are tied among Keystone State voters.
