Vice President Kamala Harris was asked in a Friday interview with 6ABC Philadelphia’s Action News how she plans to make life more affordable but quickly diverted into a rambling discourse about her middle-class upbringing and lawns.
During the interview, anchor Brian Taff questioned Harris on her strategies to enhance affordability for Americans, but her response diverged into a recollection of her middle-class roots without offering specific policy details. Harris proceeded to recount her childhood, emphasizing the hard work of her mother and the aspirations of her community, focusing particularly on the symbolic importance of well-kept lawns.
“I’ll start with this. I grew up a middle-class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard, she was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager. I grew up in a community of hardworking people, you know, construction workers and nurses and teachers,” Harris told Taff.
“I tried to explain to some people who may not have had the same experience, you know, a lot of people will relate to this. You know, I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn, you know. And I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity. And that we as Americans have a beautiful character.”
Eventually, Harris mentioned in the interview the concept of an “opportunity economy” aimed at facilitating small business startups, but without delving into the mechanisms or strategies to achieve this goal.
“So when I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much with the mind of investing in the ambitions and aspirations and the incredible work ethic of the American people and creating opportunity for people, for example, to start a small business,” Harris explained.
Harris outlined a plan in a speech on Aug. 16 in North Carolina to implement a federal restriction on “price gouging,” aiming to reduce food and grocery costs. Critics, including voices from within her own party and several media commentators, have dismissed the initiative as extreme and unfeasible, and said it amounts to collectivist price control.
Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell criticized these economic strategies in August on “CNN News Central,” calling them “totally unworkable” and harmful to markets. Rampell slammed the idea and said that a proposed legislative remedy intended to combat rising prices might inadvertently simplify the process for companies to conspire on pricing.
Former President Donald Trump previously said that the vice president was mimicking his policy initiative to abolish the tax on tips for service workers after he had initially proposed this idea during a June 9 rally, with Harris presenting a similar proposal in August.
Featured Image Credit: The White House
