Harris Policy Speech In North Carolina Underway Shortly

Vice President Kamala Harris is shortly due to deliver her highly-anticipated policy speech in Raleigh, North Carolina – a state that was trending towards former President Donald Trump but has been brought back into play by Harris’ polling bounce. Livestream

• Harris will lay out the foundations of her economic agenda for the first time, outlining policy proposals on housing and lowering grocery costs, seeking to differentiate herself from the more unpopular elements of President Biden’s agenda without entirely breaking from them.
• Campaign statements suggest that Harris' platform will emphasise bolstering the middle class, a slight pivot from Biden’s blue-collar focus. A Harris aide noted that Harris would showcase the “same values” with a “different vision.”
• Harris' economic package is expected to include a proposal to provide up to $25,000 in down payment support for first-time homeowners and a call for the construction of 3 million new housing units by the end of 2028, up from the 2 million proposed by Biden.
• Axios reports: “Middle-class voters, a huge prize, are housing-starved. But it's hard to see how this plan would affect prices and availability in a meaningful way. Harris' plan could spike demand and drive home prices even higher.”
• The Harris campaign said this week that Harris will work with Congress to pass a national ban on “price gouging” for food and groceries within the first 100 days of taking office and empower the Federal Trade Commission authority to go after companies they determine price gouge.