US Vice President Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers' national convention in Houston, Texas
Kamala Harris' economic agenda will retain the core "values" of her predecessor's agenda, but will ultimately have a "different vision," her advisers and aides revealed. AFP

KEY POINTS

  • Harris is expected to discuss plans on lowering grocery costs and scrutinizing potential abuses in the industry
  • Her agenda will also emphasize bolstering the child tax credit, contrasting Trump's tax and tariffs focus
  • The Democratic presidential nominee is set to face Trump on ABC in their first debate

Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have yet to face off in a debate, but differences in their economic agendas are already clear, as the Democratic nominee's agenda, which will mirror her predecessor's, will focus on issues that contrast those of her opponent's, her aides and advisers said.

In her Friday speech in North Carolina, Harris is expected to lay out key facets of her economic agenda, including cutting grocery costs, healthcare, housing, and enhancing the child tax credit, contrasting her rival's focus on tariffs and taxes.

Specifically, the Democratic leader will call for a federal law that will prohibit corporations from setting excessive product prices, the Harris campaign said Wednesday. She will also call out the business practices of some meat processing firms, as per Reuters.

Under her economic proposal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will have the authority to probe potential abuses in the grocery industry and impose penalties where necessary. Another sticking point in the industry that Harris is expected to focus on is merger activities, which her administration is expected to scrutinize further. Overall, her economic agenda is closely related to that of outgoing President Joe Biden.

Harris' advisers went on to reveal that she will especially take notice of what voters in key battleground states want, and will also focus on an economic plan that appeals to the middle class.

"Same values, different vision," one aide said, noting that while she will not move far from the Biden administration's agenda, "she will highlight the ones that matter most to her."

Harris' upcoming North Carolina rally will come just days after she swept San Francisco, raising $12 million at the historic Fairmont Hotel wherein tech billionaires, political figures, and prominent business names were spotted.

She is set to face Trump in what could be one of three debates in the lead-up to the November elections. The first debate is scheduled for Sept. 10, hosted by ABC, while the other two have been proposed by NBC News and Fox, but Harris has yet to comment on the latter two.

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