Kamala Harris outlined her vision of the "opportunity economy" on Wednesday, promising to support investments in manufacturing and small businesses, as well as provide tax breaks and childcare subsidies for families to build a strong middle class and drive economic growth.
On Wednesday (September 25), Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, outlined her vision of the "opportunity economy", which involves providing tax exemptions to domestic manufacturers, investing in industries that will define the next century, and vigorously boosting the American middle class.
She pledged to support investments in manufacturing and small businesses, as well as provide tax breaks and childcare subsidies for families to build a strong middle class and drive economic growth. Today, economic issues are one of the voters' top concerns. Harris' manufacturing plan is estimated to cost about $100 billion.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Harris stated that she would provide tax exemptions for American manufacturing companies to be used for restructuring or rebuilding existing factories, or expanding job opportunities, and would double the number of registered apprentices during her first term.
Registered apprenticeship refers to a system where employers can train and prepare future labor force, individuals can gain paid work experience under the guidance of a mentor, receive progressively increasing wages, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally recognized certificate. Registered apprenticeships undergo industry review and approval by the U.S. Department of Labor or state apprenticeship agencies.
She also pledged to support industries that will define the next century, including biomanufacturing, aerospace, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and clean energy, and vowed to reduce bureaucratic hurdles that delay the creation of new projects.
Harris' speech lasted less than 40 minutes and did not provide detailed explanations of how these policies will be implemented. She stated, "I promise that building a strong middle class will be the ultimate goal of my presidency." She also expressed her belief that this election is a moment for Americans to choose between her fundamentally different economic vision and that of Trump.
Harris stated that Trump "only cares about making himself and the wealthiest Americans like him live better lives", but she is committed to working with the private sector and entrepreneurs to help the middle class grow. She told the American public that she is a "capitalist", believes in "free and fair markets", and describes her policies as practical rather than ideologically rooted.
Economic policy details.
Harris's campaign team released an 82-page economic policy book at the end of his speech, providing more details.
According to this plan, Harris supports the 'America Forward' tax credit, which will provide hundreds of billions of dollars to allow the United States to compete with other competitors. It will also include additional benefits for investments by businesses in existing manufacturing, agriculture, and energy sectors, as well as cooperation with workers and unions to protect job opportunities.
The plan also calls for incentive measures to reduce emissions in steel production, establish data centers for artificial intelligence (AI), and provide additional support for the domestic semiconductor industry. Harris also pledged to establish a national critical minerals reserve, stating that various materials from batteries to defense systems require a reserve to safeguard economic and national security.
The plan is part of Harris's campaign team's $100 billion industrial policy vision proposed on Wednesday, which also calls for new incentive measures and the use of emergency government powers under the Defense Production Act of the Cold War era to increase domestic processing capacity for critical minerals.
The Harris campaign team stated, 'While increasing domestic production, we will take innovative and sustainable measures to build a stronger critical minerals supply chain with our allies and partners, including expanding US and allied production of these resources through incentivized investments.'
This document combines Harris's spending proposals with corresponding tax revenues, promising that her government will focus on 'fiscal responsibility' and intends to foot the bill for her plans and deficit reduction efforts.
In addition to measures already introduced by Harris during the campaign process (including raising the corporate tax rate to 28%), this statement confirms her support for imposing a minimum income tax on billionaires, although it does not specify if it applies to unrealized gains.
On Wednesday, Harris further expanded her lobbying efforts with business leaders, stating that she will work with them to promote economic growth. However, she emphasized that she will hold accountable those who do not follow the rules, do not respect the rights of workers and unions, and do not adhere to fair competition.
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