Vice President Kamala Harris promised to prioritize a price-fixing plan on “day one,” but commentators asked why she hasn’t brought down inflation already while in the executive branch.
“When I am President, it will be a day one priority to bring down prices,” Harris declared in a Thursday night social media post. “I’ll take on big corporations that engage in illegal price gouging and corporate landlords that unfairly raise rents on working families.”
But the vice president and presidential hopeful faces one unique challenge in arguing about policy, the fact she has failed to enact such changes over the course of the Biden-Harris administration she currently presides in, a point many commentators pointed out.
“What have you been doing the last four years?” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, inquired.
US Vice President Kamala Harris during a discussion at the National Urban League annual conference in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, July 22, 2022. (Photographer: Ron Sachs/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“Day 1 was 3.5 years ago for you. What are you talking about?” co-owner of Trending Politics Collin Rugg asked.
“‘Day one.’ We’re supposed to vote for her because of the past four years, which we’re supposed to pretend never happened,” Substacker Jim Treacher posted.
Columnist Jon Gabriel wrote, “You’ve spent three-and-a-half years raising prices.”
Political scientist Josiah Lippincott noted, “You are vice president right now. Why aren’t you working on these issues?”
“You are VP now. Your day one was almost 4 years ago. You are simultaneously running as the current VP while running against the administration that you are VP of,” strategist Yossi Gestetner said, while knocking her plan. “Price Controls reduce incentives to produce which rescues supply which leaves more people with less. Genius.”
Conservative commentator Paul Szypula argued that Harris is responsible for the economic woes in the first place, “Kamala Harris has been Vice President for four years and has brought up prices 20% on average. Prices are high because inflation is high. Harris cast the vote to make it that way.”
“Lol she did our headline,” The Babylon Bee managing editor Joel Berry said as he shared a screenshot of his parody outlet’s headline, “‘I Will Fix Things If You Vote Me Into Office,’ Says Woman Currently In Office.”
Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Friday, August 16, 2024. The presumptive Democratic candidate for President speaks about the rising costs of goods. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
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Other commentators slammed the policy itself.
Finance and culture commentator account Wall Street Silver argued that historical and contemporary examples show nothing good about such policy.
“Price controls failed in the 1970s when Nixon tried them. Companies reduce production because they cannot make a profit at the govt ordered price,” he wrote. “This results in shortages as companies respond to govt controls. Kamala is a socialist and will turn us into Venezuela.”
“This has led to economic ruin in every nation it’s been tried. Every single one. And at least half of Americans will still think this is an amazing idea. I’m not saying we’re doomed, but we’re probably doomed,” Red State’s Bonchie said.
Red State columnist Buzz Patterson wrote, “It’s called communism and it doesn’t work. How many times does the world need to prove this?”
“Kamala Harris wants to institute price controls across key areas like food and housing just like they do in socialist nations,” conservative writer Libby Emmons said. “And then she wants to make it harder for big corporations to create new jobs by destroying tax cuts, incentives for investment in the US.”
Another conservative writer, Virginia Kruta, offered a similar condemnation of the policy and Harris for advocating for it.
“Read: if you run a small grocery store or own one house/building for rent, you’re screwed and she doesn’t care,” she warned. “If she puts a price control on larger corporate stores and landlords, they will be forced to charge less than the little guys, and the little guys will lose.”
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Harris rolled out her economic plan on Friday during a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“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,” she said. “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.”
She later added, “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.”
