Live updates: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris election news
Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that, if elected, she will expand the nation’s manufacturing industry during a wide-ranging economic speech in Pittsburgh.
Some details about Harris’ plans were shared in a policy paper released by the campaign following her speech. Specifically, Harris is calling for a new tax credit that she would call “America Forward.”
The tax credit would be targeted at investment and job creation in key strategic industries, according to the policy paper, which mentions steel and iron, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aerospace, autos and farming.
The tax credits would prioritize companies that protect the right to organize.
Seeking to counter Trump’s claims that she is a Marxist, Harris described herself in the speech as a capitalist and said she believes that “an active partnership between government and the private sector is one of the most effective ways to fully unlock economic opportunity.”
Harris’ focus on manufacturing would be a continuation of the policies under President Joe Biden, who signed three major laws that provide federal investments for domestic industries.
Harris also promised in her speech that by the end of her first term, she’d double the number of registered apprenticeships, which she described as “tough duty.” Registered apprenticeships have been a focus of the Biden administration, which has invested more than $750 million in expanding registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs, according to Harris’ policy paper. It notes that new programs increased by 10% during Biden’s term.
In another bid for working class votes, Harris said she backs eliminating degree requirements and increasing skills-based hiring.
The Biden administration has also sought to boost skills-based hiring, announcing in April that it is implementing such hiring practices for certain federal information technology positions. It has pushed to grow the nation’s cybersecurity workforce through skill-based hiring and apprenticeships.
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