I’m Voting for Harris: Here’s What I Want To See Her Do for the Economy
Douglas Corleone, a 48-year-old self-employed novelist (and former criminal defense attorney) living in Honolulu, Hawaii, is excited to vote for Harris in the upcoming presidential election. (This is assuming she gets the nomination, but she’s expected to.) For his vote, there are more than a few things he’d like to see her administration do for the U.S. economy.
What exactly does Corleone want — and indeed expect — Harris to do if she takes the Oval Office in 2025? Corleone shared his thoughts with GOBankingRates.
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Help Everyone Get Ahead
In part because of his own background as a lawyer, Corleone appreciates Harris’ past as a prosecutor — and feels her economic plans are largely focused on fairness.
“A Harris administration will work to ensure that every individual has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead,” Corleone said. “Kamala Harris sees an America where no child grows up in poverty and every senior is able to retire with dignity. I like that.”
Stick With President Biden’s 2025 Budget Proposal — and Let Trump-Era Tax Cuts Expire
Specifically, Corleone would like to see Harris stick with President Biden’s 2025 budget proposal, which would increase the corporate tax rate to 28% from the 21% provided by President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
“That’s vital to the American economy,” Corleone said. “When Trump ran in 2016, he promised tax reform that would benefit everyone, but when it came time to make the cuts, he delivered only for the wealthiest Americans at the expense of low- and middle-income families.”
The Trump-era tax cuts are set to expire after 2025. When that happens, Corleone hopes that Harris is president and that her administration allows them to expire.
“If Trump’s tax cuts are extended under a second Trump administration, low- and middle-income Americans like myself will be far worse off in four years, while our deficit will soar, adding $4.6 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office,” Corleone said.
“I’d like to see Harris make the tax code fairer by cutting taxes on low- and middle-income Americans and raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%,” he continued. “She’s committed to not raising taxes for anyone making below $400,000, which is a more than reasonable cutoff.”
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Strengthen Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Corleone thinks that when the Trump tax cuts expire, the Harris administration will be in a better position to strengthen Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — which he very much wants to see them do.
“Trump has waffled on whether he would push for deep cuts to these crucial programs,” Corleone said. “Harris will protect them, which will go a long way toward fulfilling her promise to protect seniors, who have been needlessly struggling.”
Expand the Child Tax Credit
Corleone, a father of three, would also like to see Harris expand the child tax credit should she take the Oval Office.
“Harris’ support of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was pivotal in providing immediate relief to millions of hardworking American families with children,” Corleone said. “As a father of three, I struggled during the pandemic, and the consistent financial support provided stability and staved off a potential bankruptcy and eviction. The effectiveness of the child tax credit expansion is indisputable.”
According to the U.S. Census, the child tax credit was responsible for reducing the child poverty rate to 5.2% in 2021, compared to 9.7% a year earlier under Trump.
“In order to maintain this historic low, the Harris administration should not just reinstate the expansions made by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 but make them permanent to provide hardworking American families like mine with long-term stability,” Corleone said.
Enable Every Worker To Join a Union
Should Harris become president, Corelone expects her to stick to her promise that every worker will have the freedom to join a union.
“Unions help grow wages and reduce income inequality,” Corleone said. “Labor unions provide workers with safety and stability and remain an essential part of the American economy. The union-busting tactics of some large corporations are despicable and must be put to an end.”
Continue Widespread Economic Growth
Corleone noted that the Commerce Department recently confirmed that the economy grew at an annual pace of 2.8% in the second quarter of this year. He wants to see Harris continue to build on this momentum.
“I’d like to see Harris continue to expand this growth using many of the measures President Biden used to bring us back from the Trump years,” Corleone said.
Editor’s note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. For more coverage on this topic, please check out I’m Voting for Trump: This Is What I Want To See Him Do for the Economy.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m Voting for Harris: Here’s What I Want To See Her Do for the Economy