Podcast Summary
China's Criticism of Dissidents: China targets critics overseas, accusing them of making bomb threats, while Kamala Harris' economic policy stances as a potential president are unclear but can be inferred from her past roles as Senator, Attorney General of California, and economics major.
China is targeting its critics overseas, and the latest example involves a Chinese dissident's family being accused of making bomb threats, which they deny. Meanwhile, in the United States, the political landscape is shifting as Kamala Harris is poised to become the Democratic nominee for president. However, it's challenging to pinpoint her economic policy stances since she served as Vice President under Joe Biden, and her official positions aligned with the administration's. But, Harris has a history as a senator, Attorney General of California, and economics major, where she took definitive stands on various issues. This episode of Plated Money explores three significant moments from Kamala Harris' career that might provide insights into her potential economic policy.
Olympics coverage and economic policies: During the Olympics, WAMU and NPR's 1A podcast will offer in-depth coverage while Kamala Harris, during her 2019 campaign, proposed economic policies to redistribute wealth through tax increases on corporations and higher-income individuals, with tax credits for families earning less than $100,000.
During the Olympics in Paris this summer, the 1A podcast from WAMU and NPR will provide in-depth coverage beyond the headlines, exploring various aspects of the games from uniform design to new sports. Meanwhile, during her 2019 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris advocated for economic policies that focused on redistributing wealth from the rich and corporations to those with less. She proposed repealing the corporate tax cuts under President Trump and increasing taxes on banks and higher-income individuals. In return, she planned to provide tax credits of up to $500 a month for families earning less than $100,000 a year. This approach aimed to help families meet their basic needs with dignity.
Harris's stance on trade policy: Harris's career background in trade reporting may influence her stance on trade policy as president, but the implementation of her promises on economic policy like helping renters and expanding paid leave may vary.
During her 2019 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris positioned herself as a center-left candidate on economic policy, advocating for helping renters, expanding paid family and medical leave, and raising teacher salaries. However, her ability to implement these promises if elected president can vary greatly from what is proposed during debates. While influencing the country's interaction with the rest of the world, particularly in areas like diplomatic relations, military policy, and trade policy, may be easier for a president to accomplish. Harris's stance on trade policy was a topic of interest, and Sabrina Rodriguez, a national political reporter at the Washington Post with a background in trade reporting, provided insights. Rodriguez shared that Harris's heart might always have a special place in trade reporting due to her career start in this area. The conversation took place amidst the reporter's busy campaign trail schedule, covering Harris's event in Indiana and JD Vance's rally in Virginia.
Harris' stance on USMCA: Senator Harris opposed USMCA due to environmental concerns, highlighting her potential prioritization of these issues in future trade policy.
Senator Kamala Harris' opposition to the USMCA trade deal during her tenure as a US Senator provides insight into her potential approach to trade policy as a president. Despite prominent Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden supporting the USMCA, Harris voted against it due to concerns over environmental standards. Although the president holds significant power in defining trade policy, Congress still needs to approve new deals. This incident underscores Harris' commitment to prioritizing environmental concerns in trade agreements.
Kamala Harris and Trade Deals: Kamala Harris opposes certain trade deals due to environmental and labor concerns, but she is not anti-free trade or a protectionist Democrat, and she criticizes tariffs for increasing consumer prices.
Kamala Harris has consistently voiced her concerns regarding the environmental implications of trade deals. During her tenure as a senator, she opposed both the USMCA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership due to environmental and labor protection reasons. However, she has clarified that she is not anti-free trade or a protectionist Democrat. Harris has also criticized tariffs on goods like solar panels and washing machines for increasing consumer prices. Despite her stance on trade, she has not let it overshadow her focus on other issues. During her political career, she has made a name for herself by taking on big banks and challenging the Obama administration's policies. As a presidential candidate, she continues to face questions about her stance on trade, but her primary focus remains on addressing the crises of the moment, including climate change.
Kamala Harris' Economic Policies: Despite her father's background in economics, Harris' own economic policies are best understood through her public statements and actions since college.
While Kamala Harris' father, Donald J. Harris, is an emeritus economics professor at Stanford and has published papers on economic theory, it is not necessarily indicative of Harris' own economic policies. Harris herself was an economics major in college, but there is limited information available about her specific economic views during that time. To gain a better understanding of Harris' economic policies, it is more productive to look at her public statements and actions since then. We reached out to Dan Moraine, author of the biography "Kamala's Way," for insights, and he shared that Harris has focused on issues such as affordable healthcare, climate change, and economic inequality throughout her career. Ultimately, while Harris' father's background in economics may be interesting, it does not provide a clear picture of her own economic policies.
California mortgage crisis negotiation: During the mortgage crisis, Kamala Harris, as California AG, opted out of a proposed nationwide settlement to pursue a different approach, revealing her determination and potential political ambition.
During the mortgage crisis in California around 14 years ago, Kamala Harris, as the newly elected Attorney General, faced a dilemma when negotiating with five major banks over foreclosure issues. While most other state attorneys general were close to finalizing a deal with the Obama administration, Harris opted to go against the grain and withdraw from the negotiations, risking pulling out of the proposed nationwide settlement. This decision, which was met with significant pressure to settle, showcases Harris's determination to pursue a different approach, potentially revealing her economic policy heart or political ambition.
California mortgage crisis relief: California AG Kamala Harris's determination and persuasive abilities led to increased debt relief for homeowners during the mortgage crisis and new protections for homeowners facing foreclosure
California Attorney General Kamala Harris's determination and persuasive abilities led to a significant increase in debt relief for California homeowners during the mortgage crisis. She went beyond the initial settlement offers from banks and successfully lobbied for the California Homeowners Bill of Rights, which provided new protections for homeowners facing foreclosure and increased the state's power to regulate shady mortgage lenders. Harris's actions demonstrate her strong commitment to protecting the interests of middle-class homeowners, even when it meant going against powerful financial institutions. Her success in this endeavor could be a potential indicator of her approach to similar issues as a potential President.
Kamala Harris' Middle Class Policies: Kamala Harris is running for president with a focus on building up the middle class and creating opportunities for all through policies like affordable healthcare, childcare, union freedom, and paid family leave
Kamala Harris, as a new presidential candidate, has expressed her commitment to building up the middle class and creating opportunities for every person to not just get by, but get ahead. She supports policies such as affordable healthcare, childcare, union freedom, and paid family leave. The specifics of how she plans to achieve these goals are still being revealed, but it's clear that they will be a major focus of her presidency. The episode also touched upon the upcoming Planet Money Summer School episode about the birth of finance. The episode was heroically produced, edited, fact-checked, and engineered by various individuals, and executive produced by Alex Goldmark.