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Isa Soares Tonight
Gaza Ceasefire Talks in Doha End; Dozens of Israeli Settlers Attack Town of Jit; Harris Lays Out Economic Plan In First Major Policy Speech; Harris Vows To Build An Opportunity Economy; Harris Vows To Go After Bad Actors, Ban Food Gouging; Harris Vows To Lower Cost Of Prescription Drugs. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 16, 2024 - 14:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Kamala Harris
presents a first economic proposal as the presumptive Democratic nominee. We'll have a preview of the plan she hopes will make life more affordable
for Americans and help secure the White House.
Thus, is the ceasefire talks finished for now in Doha? We're going to have a look at what was accomplished amid a threat of a wider regional war. And
adding fuel to the fire, Israeli settlers go on a rampage at a West Bank village, drawing harsh rebukes from top officials in both Israel and
Washington.
Well, Vice President Harris is scheduled to roll out her economic plan in North Carolina this hour. Is another big step for a presidential campaign
that's still just a few weeks old. Harris' plan is expected to target high grocery prices with a proposal to ban price gouging.
Campaign officials say it also includes her ideas for lowering housing costs, tax cuts for more than 100 million Americans, and a new child tax
credit for middle-class and lower income families. Well, let's go straight to Kayla Tausche, who joins us from outside the White House, good to have
you with us, Kayla.
So, polls indicate that economic issues are going to be dominating this election in November, what are we expecting when Kamala Harris speaks this
hour, particularly with regards to tax breaks for middle-income and low- income families.
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, economic issues have been top of mind for voters, but it's not just that, it's also the
cost of living. That's why it's no coincidence, Lynda, that Vice President Harris, when she delivers today's speech, that this first platform on
economic issues, specifically attempts to target the cost of living, the cost of housing, and the cost of childcare, which have risen dramatically
in the last several years.
Among the policies that she is announcing today are plans like you mentioned, to have a federal ban on price gouging. A $25,000 credit for
first-time homebuyers as well as plans to build up to 3 million new housing units by spurring new construction. And the reason why she's delivering
this announcement in Raleigh, North Carolina, is because in that city, there are plans funded by the American rescue plan from earlier in the
Biden-Harris administration that have already been underway to do just that.
She is also calling for an expansion of the child tax credit to up to $3,600 per child, and up to $6,000 for a baby's first year of life. Now,
this is an area where her policy has converged with that of the Republican ticket, where the Vice Presidential nominee for Republicans has argued
that, that needs to be up to $5,000.
And they have also argued for more affordable housing and some federal lands freed up to build more housing. Just showing how both sides of the
aisle are trying to target the same set of issues because they're so acutely aware of how important they are to Americans and to voters.
We expect Vice President Harris to take the stage momentarily, and to talk about her plans to try to lower those costs and try to draw contrast with
Republicans who she says are just trying to help corporations and themselves. Lynda?
KINKADE: And Kayla, she is at a community college in North Carolina to make this announcement quite a contrast from Donald Trump, we saw yesterday
speaking about the price of eggs and other grocery items at his golf club, which has initiation fees of more than $350,000.
But of course, many of these proposals that Kamala Harris is going to discuss would require action from Congress where similar policies in the
past have faced hurdles. How important is it going to be once she gains the support from Democrats with any of these ideas to reach across the aisle.
TAUSCHE: There is no question, Lynda, that Congress is going to be a major obstacle for these policies. And we've already seen that play out. There
have been multiple attempts just this year to expand for instance, that child tax credit that we were just discussing.
And on multiple occasions, Senate Republicans represented a road block in pursuing that expansion. Now, perhaps, that would change now that
Republicans at the presidential campaign level are now espousing that very policy.
[14:05:00]
But I think that there is also a hope within the Democratic Party that perhaps if the momentum behind the Harris-Walz ticket continues, that
chances for winning more races in the House of Representatives as well as the Senate becomes more realistic proposition. And so, if there is a
composition of Congress that is more favorable for a Democratic White House, then perhaps that is something that they could actually realize.
KINKADE: Kayla Tausche, good to have you with us on the story outside the White House. Thanks so much.
TAUSCHE: Thank you.
KINKADE: We will have much more on Harris' speech ahead throughout this hour. But now, I want to turn to the Middle East, and new details are
emerging from the second day of high stakes negotiations in Qatar over a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. Senior officials from the U.S. Qatar and
Egypt presented a bridging proposal today.
Israel says it welcomes the efforts, but so far has not explicitly endorsed the latest offer. The mediators are expected to meet again in Cairo next
week, and over the phone, Qatar's Prime Minister spoke with Iran's acting Foreign Minister about the latest ceasefire efforts that comes as Iran mows
its next move.
Tehran and its proxies have vowed to retaliate against Israel for the high profile killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials. And Israel says
it expects the U.K. and France to join the U.S. in striking Iran if Israel is attached. Well, meanwhile, in the West Bank, Palestinian villages come
under assault by heavily-armed Israeli settlers.
These images coming in from the town of Jit. Palestinian officials there saying a 23-year-old man was killed. Top Israeli officials, including Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are condemning that violence. Our team is tracking these high-stakes talks from all angles. Jeremy Diamond is
standing by for us in Haifa, Israel.
But first, I want to go to our Jomana Karadsheh who joins us in Doha. So, talks have wrapped. Just take us through what we know about the progress
and what sort of sticking points are at this point in time?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Lynda, after two days of intense negotiations that involve the Israeli delegation
with the mediators, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. Those talks have concluded for now. And according to a statement that was released by the mediators,
they describe these talks as serious, constructive and conducted in a positive atmosphere.
And what happens right now is they say that they have the U.S. with the support of the Egyptians and the Qataris say they have put on the table a
bridging proposal, and they will have working teams that will go through the technical details of the implementation of the proposal in the coming
days until the senior delegations meet again before the end of next week in Cairo.
They say with the aim to conclude the deal under the terms put forward. Now, you know, when they went into these negotiations, there were major
gaps in the positions of both Israel and Hamas on a number of issues when it comes to that three-phase plan that was put forward by President Biden,
that would secure the release of the hostages and a Gaza ceasefire.
Now, what the mediators are saying is that they have this bridging proposal that builds on areas of agreement and bridges remaining gaps in a manner
that allows for a swift implementation of the deal. There are many questions right now. What was agreed on over the past few days? What are
the gaps that remain? How do they plan to bridge those differences between both sides?
And you know, the mediators, it's been clear that they have been growing more and more frustrated with Israel and Hamas. They have been putting
unprecedented pressure really on both sides to try and reach a deal. So, it is very clear that they are trying to get this deal done.
But the key issue here is, do they have the agreement from the Israelis and Hamas? Will they be able to convince them to agree to what is on the table
right now. And this is what we're going to have to see. And look, the messaging coming from the White House, very optimistic, positive, saying,
you know, we are closer than we have been to this deal.
But there is a feeling in this region amongst many that we have been here before. We have heard this sort of positive messaging in the past. Is this
going to be any different? Will they be able to bring this deal to a close by the end of next week, Lynda?
[14:10:00]
KINKADE: Exactly. That is the key point, Jomana. And I want to go to you, Jeremy, because as Jomana laid out, both Hamas and Israel need to agree to
this. What are you hearing from Israel?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't have a sense yet of whether Israel is in agreement with the bridging proposal that was put on
the table today. What we do know though, is that the Israeli Prime Minister's office put out a statement saying that they quote, "appreciate
the mediators' efforts in this matter."
They are framing it as the mediators efforts to convince Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal, effectively saying that they believe Hamas needs to be
dissuaded from its refusal to agree to a ceasefire deal. We should note that Hamas hasn't actually refused to this proposal that is on the table.
And Israel hasn't either at this stage, both parties seem to be interested in trying to reach a deal. But the question is, which deal is it that they
are talking about? Hamas has said that they don't want to engage in further rounds of negotiations. They want to see a deal based on the framework that
was agreed to on July 2nd, that was before the Israeli Prime Minister made a series of demands, including related to Israeli control of the Gaza-Egypt
border, as well as preventing armed men from going from southern Gaza to northern Gaza.
And so, for now, it seems like both Israel and Hamas, which also hasn't released a statement, saying that they support or are against this current
bridging proposal, both of them are at least listening to the mediators, are engaged in these negotiations and will let this process play out over
the coming days in terms of the technical teams that will work to try and kind of cement this bridging proposal that is on the table with
negotiations set to resume once again sometime later next week.
But I think one critical angle as we have been watching what the impact of these ceasefire negotiations will be on those regional tensions, the Qatari
Prime Minister who has been intimately involved in these negotiations, he has now spoken with the Iranian Foreign Minister twice over the course of
the last two days to update him on those negotiations, and to make clear to him that it would be in the interest of finalizing a deal that Iran not
launch any kind of major escalation in the region. And so far, Lynda, it appears that Iran is heeding that message.
KINKADE: All right, Jeremy Diamond for us in Haifa, Israel, and Jomana Karadsheh in Doha. Good to have you both on the story with us. Thank you.
Well, Iran and its actions are of course crucial to all of the events going on in the Middle East. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now live from
Tehran. Fred, good to have you with us.
So, I want to understand what the feeling is in Iran, which of course has vowed retaliation, but, also indicated that it doesn't want a wider
regional war, and it doesn't want to derail these ceasefire talks.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Iranians have certainly said that they do not want to derail those talks.
And I think that the Iranians also believe that these talks potentially are extremely important obviously for the region. But the Iranians have also
said, Lynda, that they do reserve the right to a retaliation, and that whether or not these talks go forward and whether or not they come to a
conclusion, Iran still reserves that right and will continue to do that.
It was quite interesting today because of course, today, you also had the British and French Foreign Ministers in Israel speaking to the Israeli
Foreign Minister, who essentially said that he expects France and the U.K. to attack Iran if the Iranians launch a military retaliation after the
assassination of Ismail Haniyeh here in Tehran on July 31st.
And the Iranians essentially, sources I've been speaking to on the ground here, they've been laughing that off. The Iranians say they have their set
course. They're obviously watching what is going on in the region, they're watching what's going on with those talks. But at the same time, they say
that they will move forward at their own pace.
One of the things of course, that we've heard from the head of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, as he said that even this
waiting game right now is something that the Iranians consider to be punishment for the Israelis and of course, for the United States as well.
However, the Iranians are still saying that retaliation could take place and it could take place at any time. They believe they have the forces to
do that, and they also believe that the last time that Iran retaliated in - - against Israel, after of course, several top Iranian commanders were killed in a bombing in Damascus that the Israeli still have not
acknowledged.
But of course, that the Iranians blame Israel for, they believe that they've shown that they have the force to do that. But the Iranians also
said that the weapons that they used back then were older models and they certainly have more firepower at their disposal. So, certainly, it's going
to be very interesting to see what the Iranians do going forward.
But you do see them paying very close attention to those talks that are going on there in Doha. And one of the things that Jeremy said it's
obviously absolutely right, despite the fact that Iran, of course, is not part of those talks, Iran still looms very much at those talks with the
Qatari Prime Minister keeping the Iranians very well-informed as to what exactly is going on there, of course, with the hope that further
retaliation by the Iranians could be staved off, Lynda.
[14:15:00]
KINKADE: Yes, that is interesting. Frederik Pleitgen for us in Tehran, good to have you there for us. Thank you. Well, Ukraine says that by
bringing the war to Russian territory, it's hoping to bring Russia to the negotiating table. An aid to Ukraine's President says the incursion into
Russia's Kursk region is aimed at persuading the Kremlin to enter quote, "fair talks".
Chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh gained some of the first access to Ukrainian-held Friday, to witness Ukrainian forces
control over the town of Sojitz(ph) and the intensity of the fight. CNN was accompanied by the Ukrainian military who reviewed the video without sound
prior to the release for operational security reasons. Yet, they have no editorial control. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): All around, this is the signs of the intense fighting that's been raging
inside here is Parish's(ph) wheel to be inside Russia. Again with Ukrainian forces leading the way. Well, not even the statue of Lenin is unscathed
here. This Ukrainian assault so persistent, and Russia, despite its sense of history, it's sort of passed has being some impregnable, completely
unable to push the Ukrainians out here.
The sound of small arms fire, we can still hear, so clearly, there is a bid for the Russians to push back, but simply isn't working, and humiliation
for Putin endures.
(GUNFIRE)
(EXPLOSION)
WALSH: You can see the damage that's been done to the street here from the intense fighting that we're used to, still clearly active fighting
happening here. And there still is the question, where are the drones? Where are the Russian drones that have made Ukraine's life hell on the
frontlines for months, simply nowhere to be seen.
Well, there's constant artillery as well. Clearly, a fight still underway for this. This has become deeply symbolic for Ukraine's totally surprise
assault into Russia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Nick Paton Walsh there. Well, still to come tonight, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris takes to the stage
in North Carolina laying out her economic proposals.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
KINKADE: We're looking at live pictures right now from Raleigh, North Carolina where Kamala Harris is set to give her first policy speech
focusing on the U.S. economy. It's the issue that tops the list of concerns for many American voters. And both campaigns are trying to drive home their
economic message.
So, how does the Harris and Trump plans compare? Let's welcome anchor of CNN's "FIRST MOVE" Julia Chatterley to join us right now. Good to see you,
Julia. So, we know that Kamala Harris is going to promise tax relief for over 100 million Americans. Talk to us about her proposal to lift the
middle-class and low-income families up.
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: So, there's going to be a few things, and I'll just give you the top level and then I'll break them down very
quickly. To your point, that tax relief I think is incredibly important. And if you're a parent in the United States, now is the time to listen up.
The hope is that they can boost or raise the level of child tax credits from the current 2,000 level to 3,600. There's also the hope that they can
add an additional tax credit for the first year of a child's life for low and middle-income families, that's the $6,000 that you can see in front of
you.
Expand the earned income tax credit, another angle here, and we've also heard a talk about removing tax on tips that obviously got blowback from
the Trump administration, no detail on how she pays for all of this. If you're a high income earner or a corporate in the United States, perhaps
you need to be a little nervous at this point.
The other thing that she's talked about tackling also a huge issue, changing the narrative on food price inflation, and how she's going to
tackle corporate gouging, price gouging, which is basically when companies collude to keep prices high or they try and take advantage of rising
prices.
Right now, what we have is the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission that can investigate whether that's going on. It can prevent mergers of big
companies like in the meat industry or grocers if it thinks that, that will end up in consumers paying higher prices. You can walk into a grocer and
say, hey, egg prices or something like that are too high and you need to lower them.
So, we have to see what the details of this is, how she envisages it working. There's a lot of debate over ultimately whether or not this will
create more distortions rather than actually bringing food prices down, which of course, is what everybody wants, likely to fly well with voters
though, because it is a plan of action even if the outcome is debatable.
And then the other thing is housing. Of course, how to make housing more affordable. We know we have a shortage of houses. She's going to talk about
building 3 million more houses, providing incentives for home-builders to do more. And then perhaps, incentives like a $25,000 sum for first-time
homebuyers to get them on the property ladder.
Again, how do you pay for all of this? One of the big challenges, of course, is that mortgage rates are so high at this stage that people are
struggling if they're already in a mortgage and the padlocked in at lower rate, they don't want to move until rates come down. Home-builders of
course, would have to probably borrow money in order to build more homes.
They will also want to wait for interest rates to come down. So, there's a lot of stickiness, but it does cut to one of the central problems of the
affordability crisis and the housing crisis in the United States, which is we simply don't have enough homes. And this is one way to tackle it. Again,
the execution and how you pay for this plan will be critical in how it improves the situation or doesn't.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly, we'll be listening for those details when Kamala Harris speaks any moment. We are currently looking at those live pictures
from Raleigh, North Carolina. This is a community college where she'll speak and Julia, quite a contrast to seeing Donald Trump outside his very
exclusive golf club yesterday with an array of grocery products, talking about how much grocery prices have come up.
But in terms of what he would do to bring down the price of groceries verses Kamala Harris talking about tackling price gouging, how do they
compare?
CHATTERLEY: Yes, it's a great question. I mean, he's cut to the issue of inflation and said, look, we just need to see interest rates come down. We
need to see mortgage rates come down. It wasn't a problem when I left office, and it won't be a problem when I arrive back.
One of the ways that he's talked about tackling inflation directly is, of course, pumping more oil and gas. The data suggests that actually we're
near records even under the Biden administration even if he can produce more in terms of directly tackling grocery prices, he's not come up with
anywhere near the kind of plan that Kamala Harris' campaign is talking about too.
But I go back to my suggestion that the danger is actually that could create more distortions. If I look at housing, he's also talked about
expanding what's available in terms of land including federally-owned land to perhaps expand this. But again, it points to the need to see interest
rates come down and mortgage rates to ease.
And he's right on that. But again, it's not something that a presidential candidate nor a President ultimately can deal with. That comes down to the
Federal Reserve, the Central Bank of the United States.
[14:25:00]
And actually, for me, this is one area where she could really today hit him where it hurts, because we know that if you want to bring inflation down,
you have to raise interest rates, and no politician is going to do that and increase the pain that individual voters are facing.
It's why they have to be independent. And the former President has talked about having a say in those kinds of policy decisions. Kamala Harris has
said, we're going to leave the central bank independent. And Lynda, you know as well as I do, in this example, that's the right decision. He's
wrong. She's right.
KINKADE: And interesting, Julia, we saw Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appear together yesterday for the first time since Joe Biden dropped out of the
presidential race, talking about ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs. I'm wondering how much you believe Kamala Harris will distance
herself from Bidenomics and where she might align?
CHATTERLEY: I think it's about cherry-picking, isn't it to your point? We know the things that resonate with voters talking about trying to bring
grocery prices down, talking about bringing prescription drug prices down and the recommendations certainly something that resonates with voters at
this moment.
So, I think she can keep the good bits and she tries to distance herself from the worse parts. We know that Biden has been blamed for high
inflation. We can have a debate over what contributed to that over the past three years. And in some part, it was the Act that was signed, the $1.9
trillion at the beginning of their administration that I think everybody agrees field inflation to some degree.
But I think changing the narrative and trying to talk about corporate greed and that being part of what's lifted food prices in particular is perhaps
smart if inaccurate, overall way of trying to address the challenges.
KINKADE: We are, Julia, just in, Kamala Harris now live about to speak on her economic policies and outline her plan for America. Let's listen in.
KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, family and friends.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Oh, it's good to be back in North Carolina. Oh, it's good to see everyone.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Thank you. Oh, it's good to see everyone. Good afternoon, everyone. Please have a seat if you have a seat. Please have a seat.
Mike D, I have to tell -- so, Mike D's Barbecue. Let me tell you one of the biggest fans of Mike D's Barbecue, my husband, Doug Emhoff.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And -- and thank you, Mike, for sharing your story. And -- and I'm just so sorry for what your family has been through. But you have, out of
an incredible tragedy, done so much for the community, and you are such a role model. So, thank you, Mike, for everything you do.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Thank you. Thank you. And good afternoon to everyone here. Thank you to all of the incredible leaders with us today, including my friend,
the Governor, Roy Cooper. Where is Roy?
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Here with his daughter. Every time I land in North Carolina, I -- just literally coming down the stairs of Air Force Two, I will shout to Roy
Cooper, "What number is it, Roy?"
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: And today he shouted, "Sixteen," which is the number of times I've been in this beautiful state since I've been Vice President.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Every time. I want to thank your next Governor, Attorney General Josh Stein.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: He's doing incredible work. He's going to be an extraordinary Governor.
Representatives Adam Manning, Foushee, and Nickel, thank you all for your support, for your friendship, for your leadership.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Chair Thomas of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, thank you for all that you do.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And to all the leaders that are here today, including the students and instructors here at Wake Tech North.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Thank you. Thank you. So thank you all.
So, listen, this election, I do strongly believe, is about two very different visions for our nation. One, ours, focused on the future. And the
other, focused on the past.
We see that contrast clearly in many ways, including when it comes to how we think about the economy. So, our country has come a long way since
President Biden and I took office.
At that time, we sadly remember the millions of Americans that were out of work. We were facing one of the worst economic crises in modern history.
And today, by virtually every measure, our economy is the strongest in the world.
[14:30:03]
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: We have created 16 million new jobs. We have made historic investments in infrastructure, in chips manufacturing, in clean energy. And
new numbers this week alone show that inflation is down under three percent.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And as President of the United States, it will be my intention to build on the foundation of this progress.
Still, we know that many Americans don't yet feel that progress in their daily lives. Costs are still too high. And on a deeper level, for too many
people, no matter how much they work, it feels so hard to just be able to get ahead.
As President, I will be laser-focused on creating opportunities for the middle class that advance their economic security, stability, and dignity.
Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: An opportunity economy. An economy where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed. Everyone, regardless of who they are or
where they start, has an opportunity to build wealth for themselves and their children. And where we remove the barriers to opportunity so anyone
who wants to start a business or advance their career can access the tools and the resources that are necessary to do so.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: I will focus on cutting needless bureaucracy and unnecessary regulatory red tape --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- and encouraging -- and encouraging innovative technologies while protecting consumers, and creating a stable business environment with
consistent and transparent rules of the road.
As President, I will bring together labor with small businesses and major companies to invest in America, to create good jobs, achieve broad-based
growth, and ensure that America continues to define the future and lead the world.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And key -- key to creating this opportunity economy is building up our middle class.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: It is essential. The middle class is one of America's greatest strengths. And to protect it then, we must defend basic principles, such as
your salary should be enough to provide you and your family with a good quality of life.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Such as no child should have to grow up in poverty.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Such as, after years of hard work, you should be able to retire with dignity.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And you should be able to join a union if you choose. Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency, because I
strongly believe when the middle class is strong, America is strong.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So, in the weeks to come, I will address in greater detail my plans to build an opportunity economy. And today, I will focus on one element
that's on the minds of many Americans as they pay their bills at the kitchen table or walk the aisles of a grocery store, and that is lowering
the cost of living.
(APPLAUSE)
[14:35:00]
HARRIS: So every day across our nation, families talk about their plans for the future, their ambitions, their aspirations for themselves, for their
children. And they talk about how they're going to be able to actually achieve them financially, because look, the bills add up. Food, rent, gas,
back to school clothes, prescription medication. After all that, for many families, there's not much left at the end of the month.
I grew up in a middle class household. For most of my childhood, we were renters. My mother saved for well over a decade to buy a home. I was a
teenager when that day finally came, and I can remember so well how excited she was. I kind of understood what it meant, but -- we called her mommy.
Mommy was so excited. It just made us excited that she was so excited.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Later in college, I worked at McDonald's to earn spending money. Well, some of the people I worked with were raising families on that
paycheck. They worked second or even third jobs to pay rent and buy food. That only gets harder when the cost of living goes up.
When I am elected President, I will make it a top priority to bring down costs and increase economic security for all Americans. As President, I
will take on the high costs that matter most to most Americans, like the cost of food.
We all know that prices went up during the pandemic when the supply chains shut down and failed. But our supply chains have now improved. And prices
are still too high. A lot -- a loaf of bread costs 50 percent more today than it did before the pandemic. Ground beef is up almost 50 percent.
Many of the big food companies are seeing their highest profits in two decades. And while many grocery chains pass along these savings, others
still aren't. Look, I know most businesses are creating jobs, contributing to our economy, and playing by the rules. But some are not. And that's just
not right. And we need to take action when that is the case. At --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: As Attorney General in California, I went after companies that illegally increased prices, including wholesalers that inflated the price
of prescription medication and companies that conspired with competitors to keep prices of electronics high. I won more than $1 billion for consumers.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So believe me, as President, I will go after the bad actors.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And I will work to pass the first-ever federal ban on price-gauging on food.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules. And we will support smaller food
businesses that are trying to play by the rules and get ahead.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: We will help the food industry become more competitive, because I believe competition is the lifeblood of our economy. More competition means
lower prices for you and your families.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Now compare what Donald Trump plans to do. He wants to impose what is in effect a national sales tax --
(BOOING)
HARRIS: -- on everyday products and basic necessities that we import from other countries. That will devastate Americans. It will mean higher prices
on just about every one of your daily needs.
[14:40:00]
A Trump tax on gas, a Trump tax on food, a Trump tax on clothing, a Trump tax on over-the-counter medication.
And you know, economists have done the math. Donald Trump's plan would cost a typical family $3,900 a year. At this moment, when everyday prices are
too high, he will make them even higher.
As president, I'll tack -- and take on the issue of the cost of healthcare.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: As attorney general, I took on insurance companies and Big Pharma, and got them to lower their prices. And together with President Biden,
we've gone even further. We capped the price of insulin at $35 a month, and the total cost--
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- and the total cost of prescriptions drugs at $2,000 a year for seniors. We let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices for seniors, and just
yesterday -- and just yesterday, we announced that we are lowering the price by up to 80 percent for 10 more life-saving drugs.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And I pledge to continue this progress. I'll lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone with your support, not only our
seniors--
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- and demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies who use opaque practices to raise
your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.
Two months ago, I announced that medical debt will no longer be used against your credit score.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And I will work as president with states like here in North Carolina -- Roy Cooper, thank you again -- to cancel medical debt for more
and more, millions more Americans.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: As for Donald Trump, well, he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act--
(BOOS)
HARRIS: -- which 45 million Americans rely on -- 45 million Americans rely on it for healthcare. That would take us back to a time when insurance
companies could deny people with pre-existing conditions. We all remember what that was, and -- and we're not going back.
(CHANTING)
HARRIS: We're not going back.
And -- and remember -- and this is why we're not going back, because we do remember--
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: He tried to cut Medicare every year he was president, threatening a program that tens of millions of seniors count on. And according to his
Project 2025 agenda, he intends to undo our work to bring down prescription drugs -- the cost of prescription drugs and insulin costs. Well, we've come
too far to let that happen.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So we're not going back on that, and let's talk about the cost of housing.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So now, the housing market can be complicated, but look, I'm not new to this issue. As state attorney general, I drafted and helped pass a
homeowner bill of rights, one of the first in America, and during the foreclosure crisis, I took on the big banks for predatory lending with many
of my colleagues, including Roy Cooper, and won $20 billion for California families when I was attorney general.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So I know how to fight for people who are being exploited in the housing market, and I know what home ownership means. It's more than a
financial transaction. It's so much more than that. It's more than a house.
[14:45:02]
Home ownership and what that means; it's a symbol of the pride that comes with hard work. It's financial security. It represents what you will be
able to do for your children.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And sadly, right now, it is out reach for far too many American families. There's a serious housing shortage. In many places, it's too
difficult to build and it's driving prices up. As president, I will work in partnership with industry to build the housing we need both to rent and to
buy. We will take down barriers and cut red tape, including at the state and local levels.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And by the end of my first term, we will end America's housing shortage by building three million new homes and rentals that are
affordable for the middle class.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And we will do that together. We will do that together. And -- and we will make sure those homes actually go to working and middle-class
Americans--
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- not just investors. Because you know, some corporate landlords, some of them buy dozens, if not hundreds of houses and apartments, then
they turn them around and rent them out at extremely high prices, and it can make it impossible, then, for regular people to be able to buy, or even
rent a home. Some corporate landlords collude with each other to set artificially-high rental prices, often using algorithms and price-fixing
software to do it. It's anti-competitive and it drives up costs. I will fight for a law that cracks down on these practices.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: We also know that as the price of housing has gone up, the size of downpayments have gone up, as well. Even if aspiring homeowners save for
years, it often still is not enough.
So in addition, while we work on the housing shortage, my administration will provide first-time home buyers with $25,000 to help with the down
payment on a new home.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: We can do this. We can do this. All to help more Americans experience the pride of homeownership and the financial security that it
represents and brings.
So that's my plan, but here's what Donald Trump would do. If his Project 2025 agenda is put into effect, it will add around $1,200 a year to the
typical American mortgage. He's got it backward. We should be doing everything we can to make it more affordable to buy a home, not less.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Finally, there's one more way I will help families deal with rising costs, and that's by letting you keep more of your hard-earned money.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a tax cut, and we will do this by restoring two tax cuts designed to help middle-class
and working Americans, the Earned Income Tax Credit --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- and the Child Tax Credit --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- through which millions of Americans with children got to keep more of their hard-earned income.
[14:50:06]
We know this works and has a direct impact on so many issues, including child poverty. We know it works. So as President, I'll not only restore
that tax cut but expand it.
We will provide $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child's life. Now, think what that means.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Think what that means. That is a vital, vital year of critical development of a child. And the costs can really add up, especially for
young parents who need to buy diapers and clothes and a car seat and so much else. And we will do this while reducing the deficit.
Compare my plan with what Donald Trump intends to do. He plans to give billionaires massive tax cuts year after year, and he plans to cut
corporate taxes by over $1 trillion, even as they pull in record profits. And that's on top of the $2 trillion tax cut he already signed into law
when he was President, which, by the way, overwhelmingly went to the wealthiest Americans and corporations and exploded the national deficit.
You know, I think that if you want to know who someone cares about, look who they fight for.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: Look who they fight for. Donald Trump fights for billionaires and large corporations. We -- I will fight to give money back to working and
middle-class Americans.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So I'll end with this -- two days ago, Donald Trump was here in North Carolina.
(BOOING)
HARRIS: He said he was going to talk about the economy.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: I think you all watched. You know what I'm about to say. But he offered no serious plans to reduce costs for middle-class families, no plan
to expand access to housing or healthcare. And that actually, I think for most of us, was not surprising because we already know his plans. We know
the Project 2025 agenda.
So there's a choice in this election -- Donald Trump's plans to devastate the middle-class, punish working people, and make the cost of living go up
for millions of Americans, and on the other hand, when I'm elected President, what we'll do --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- what we will do to -- bring down costs, increase the security and stability financially of your family, and expand opportunity for
working and middle-class Americans.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So now -- now -- now is the time to chart a new way forward. Now is the time --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- to chart a new way forward, to build --
CROWD: A new way forward! New way forward! New way forward! New way forward!
HARRIS: A new way forward, yes, a new way forward -- to build -- to build an America where everyone's work is rewarded and talents are valued, where
we work with labor and business to strengthen the American economy, and where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: So I thank you, North Carolina. We're going to get this done --
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: -- and -- with your help. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: We've just been listening to remarks from U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris laying out her economic plan during a speech
in Raleigh, North Carolina promising to build on what she calls an opportunity economy. Harris pledged there to cut government red tape and
make it easier for small businesses to grow. She also vowed to help build up the middle class, saying when the middle class is strong, America is
strong.
Well, the Democratic Nominee also promised a federal ban on price gouging which she says is behind the high grocery prices. I want to welcome CNN
Senior Reporter Isaac Dovere and Democratic Strategist Chuck Rocha. Chuck served as the senior advisor to Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020
campaigns.
Good to have you both with us. Isaac, first to you. We heard at the top of that Kamala Harris outlining what she and Joe Biden have achieved in the
last three and a half years, how she's going to build on that, how she's going to go after the bad actors she says in grocery, in supermarkets, in
prescription drugs, in housing. What stood out to you ?
[14:55:48]
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, the crux of it really came to -- in my mind -- to a line that she had about a third of the way through
the speech. And she said look, the bills are adding up. And this is her attempt to say to people who keep hearing the true facts that the economy
is getting better, all the indicators show huge improvement, but are still feeling like they are getting squeezed, like their paychecks are not
stretching as far as they used to and they're not getting as far ahead as they used to. They can't take vacations or think about school tuitions.
It's the type of thing that Donald Trump tapped into in 2016, that Bernie Sanders tapped into in 2016, and that has only gotten worse in a lot of
Americans' minds since then, obviously accentuated by everything that happened with COVID. And Harris saying, yes, there's a lot of
accomplishments from what the Biden Administration has done. In her mind, obviously, she's a big part of that. But that there needs to be that
conversation about what to do for people in their direct experiences.
Of course, what we still haven't heard is a lot of -- how she would get these things done and how she would pay for them, but that's what happens
when we have so far just one speech from her about what her policy would be if she were to be elected.
KINKADE: Yes, you make a good point there. To you Chuck, because there wasn't a whole lot of detail as to how she will pay for any of these
policies or how she could possibly enforce them, she did lay out plans of tax cuts for middle and income families. She also spoke about tackling
price gouging and said that she would push forward a federal ban on that. Were you surprised we didn't hear more detail on that. And what did you
think about the reaction she got there in North Carolina?
CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think she got a great reaction. And I'd like to remind everybody that it's still 100 times more detailed than
anything Donald Trump has talked about when it comes to plans or paying for anything. What you heard today was a direct outreach to moderate
Republicans and Independents saying I'm going to be a business-minded, common-sense Democrats who can deliver for you.
And then also, as somebody who's wrote many of these speeches, it was really ironic to hear her keep talking about the Trump tax. Trump wants to
put these tariffs on things that would directly make people's milk and breads higher. What you saw today is saying, I understand your pain, I grew
up in a middle-class household. We couldn't afford to buy a house till I was a teenager. I know what it's like to feel the pain that you're feeling.
Trust me and we can do this together.
It was a really good speech. My hat goes off to the team who wrote it because it's exactly what I've been hearing in focus groups across the
country as I'm working on Congressional and Senate races. So, I think she did a very good job and I think she could put North Carolina back on the
map as a true battleground.
KINKADE: Yes, she certainly did make it personal as you say, Chuck. And to you, Isaac, of course you know, she outlined several of her key economic
policies. We know that Trump says he'll, you know, try and end what he calls the inflation nightmare by a combination of tariffs and tax cuts and
crackdown on immigration. But so many economists are saying that those sort of proposals could actually increase inflation.
DOVERE: Yes, that's right. Look, there is not really a credible economist who thinks that the kinds of tariffs that Donald Trump is talking about
wouldn't lead to higher prices for a lot of Americans. That's just where we are in the facts of it. We also -- I think Chuck is correct that there is -
- we have not heard a lot of detail out of Donald Trump about how exactly he would improve the economy.
He had an event yesterday at his golf course in Bedminster. He had a lot of items from a supermarket that he had out and he talked about how prices
have gone up. But most of what he did in that speech or it was a press conference technically or the speech that he gave the day before in North
Carolina himself was talking about how essentially if he is elected, he thinks things will get better.
He's also warned that there will be a depression if he doesn't get elected. There is no evidence for that. In fact, there is a lot of evidence against
it. And so, we do have two candidates who are talking about the economy, one warning that things could get really bad and the other one in Harris is
saying that she knows that things are not as great as some including Joe Biden would talk about.
KINKADE: Yes, certainly. You should make that really clear, right? Perception isn't necessarily reality, but she is going to address all those
concerns. Chuck Rocha, Isaac Dovere, good to have you with us. I appreciate your time. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for staying with us. You're watching
CNN. "NEWSROOM" with Zain Asher is next.
END
