Kamala Harris on Action News | September 13, 2024

 Auto-transcribed on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.media and text playback available on this page: https://aliceapp.ai/recordings/LcBwIdWNf12kieX9tM3FlhaPJ4xDyHO6

Key 	Value 	
Words: 	1,816 	
Duration: 	00:11:19 	
Recorded on: 	Unknown date 	
Uploaded on: 	2024-10-22 23:33:33 UTC 	
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Speakers:

 Brian Taff - 26.38%

 Kamala Harris - 73.62%

Notes:

Summary by ChatGPT- Opportunity Economy: Harris proposes a $50,000 tax deduction for startups and $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers to make home ownership more accessible.- Affordable Housing: She plans to work with the private sector to build 3 million new homes by the end of her first term to address the housing shortage.- New Leadership: Harris emphasizes a generational shift in leadership, focusing on modern policies like expanding the child tax credit to $6,000 for young families in their first year.- Gun Ownership & Safety: As a gun owner herself, Harris supports the Second Amendment while advocating for an assault weapons ban and universal background checks.- Bringing Americans Together: She stresses the need for unity, criticizing divisive leadership and focusing on common ground to address the nation's challenges.

[00:00:00]  Brian Taff 
All good. Okay. Okay. Wonderful. Good.

[00:00:04]  Kamala Harris 
Awesome.

[00:00:04]  Brian Taff 
Uh, madam vice President, pleasure to meet you.

[00:00:07]  Kamala Harris 
Thanks for your time today.

[00:00:08]  Brian Taff 
Our audience appreciates your time.

[00:00:10]  Kamala Harris 
Of course.

[00:00:10]  Brian Taff 
As you know, we're sitting here in a state, and arguably in front of an audience that 54 days from now could decide the outcome of this presidential election. You hear it more than I do. People want to know more about you and about your specific plans. At the debate the other night, you talked about creating an opportunity economy.

[00:00:29]   
I wonder if we can drill down on that a little bit. When we talk about bringing down prices and making life more affordable for people. What are one or two specific things you have in mind for that?

[00:00:40]  Kamala Harris 
Well, I'll start with this. Um, I grew up a middle class kid. My mother raised my sister and me. She worked very hard. Um, she was able to finally save up enough money to buy our first house when I was a teenager. Um, I grew up in a community of. Of hardworking people, you know, construction workers and nurses and teachers.

[00:01:02]   
And I try to explain to some people who may not have had the same experience, you know, but a lot of people will relate to this. You know, I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn, you know, and, um, I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity and that we, as Americans, have a beautiful character.

[00:01:31]   
You know, we have ambitions and aspirations and dreams, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that can help them fuel those dreams and ambitions. So when I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much with the mind of investing in the ambitions and aspirations and the incredible work ethic of the american people and creating opportunity for people, for example, to start a small business, um, my mother worked long hours, and our neighbor helped raise us.

[00:02:07]   
We used to call her. I still call her our second mother. She was a small business owner. I love our small business owners. I learned who they are from my childhood. And she was, uh, a community leader. She hired locally. She mentored. Our small businesses are so much a part of the fabric of our communities, not to mention, really, I think, the backbone of America's economy.

[00:02:29]   
So my opportunity economy plan includes giving startups a $50,000 tax deduction to start their small business. It used to be $5,000. Nobody can start a small business with $5,000. But investing in people's innovative, uh, ideas and giving them the ability to go for it. Opportunity, um, economy means, look, we don't have enough housing in America.

[00:02:56]   
We have a housing supply shortage. And what that means, in particular, for so many younger Americans, the american dream is elusive. It's just actually not attainable. So part of my plan is to work with the private sector and housing developers to give them a tax credit, to be able to partner with us as the government to build.

[00:03:16]   
And my goal is 3 million new homes by the end of my first term, in addition to help people who just want to get their foot in the door, literally. And so giving first time home buyers a, uh, $25,000 down payment assistance to be able to just get in the door, and then they will do the work that they need to do to save and to pay that mortgage and to build wealth for themselves and their family.

[00:03:46]   
These are some examples of what I mean when I talk about an opportunity economy. And a lot of it has to do with just the community I was raised in and the people that I, you know, I admired who work hard, you know, and deserve to have, you know, their dreams fulfilled because they're prepared to work for it.

[00:04:05]  Brian Taff 
At the debate and at, uh, previous appearances about turning the page on, uh, the past, and, in fact, here today in Johnstown, you're talking about a new way forward. I think some people have a question, given maybe your current role as vice president of the United States, how different you are from Joe Biden.

[00:04:22]   
And so I wonder if there are one or two spots, policy areas, or approaches where you would say, I'm a different person.

[00:04:29]  Kamala Harris 
Well, I'm obviously not Joe Biden, and, um, you know, I offer a new generation of leadership. And so, for example, thinking about developing and creating an opportunity economy where it's about investing in areas that really need a lot of work and maybe focusing on, again, the aspirations and the dreams. Um, but also just recognizing that at this moment in time, some of the stuff we could take for granted years ago, we can't take for granted anymore.

[00:05:01]   
Um, for example, another, um, plan that I have that is a new approach, is to expand the child tax credit to $6,000 for young families for the first year of their child's life, because that is obviously a very critical, uh, stage of development of a child. And a lot of young parents need the help to buy a car seat or a crib or clothes for their kids.

[00:05:25]   
And so my approach is about new ideas, new policies that are directed at the current moment. And also, to be very honest with you, my focus is very much on what we need to do over the next 1020 years to catch up to the 21st century around again. Capacity, but also challenges.

[00:05:51]  Brian Taff 
Crime and public safety are two major issues, uh, right at the forefront of voters minds in Philadelphia as well, where crime is a significant issue. When we talk about crime, the conversation turns to gun safety as well. And I think you actually probably caught a lot of people off guard, maybe a bit by surprise in the debate the other night when you mentioned that you are a gun owner.

[00:06:09]   
I know you said it in 2019 as well. I want to talk about your values on this issue. When it comes to gun ownership, where do you draw the line in America on gun ownership and gun use?

[00:06:21]  Kamala Harris 
Well, like you said, brian, I am, um, a gun owner, and Tim walls, my running mate, is also a gun owner. We're not taking anybody's guns away. I support the second amendment, and I support reasonable gun safety laws. Part of my approach to this is I was a career prosecutor for most of my career.

[00:06:42]   
I have personally prosecuted homicide cases. I have personally looked at autopsies. I have personally seen what assault weapons do to the human body. And so I feel very strongly that it is consistent with the second amendment and your right to own a gun. To also say we need an assault weapons ban, they're literally tools of war.

[00:07:09]   
They were literally designed to kill a lot of human beings quickly. I say we need universal background checks. The majority of NRA members support that. Why? Because it's just reasonable. You just might want to know, before someone can buy a lethal weapon, if they've been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others, you just might want to know.

[00:07:33]  Brian Taff 
Two final questions, if I might, on, um, the appeal of the man you were running against. You drove here today. You likely saw a lot of Trump signs he has in historic appeal in this country. And as you are someone running against him, and try to understand that, I wonder how you distill it.

[00:07:51]   
What do you understand his appeal to be? And how do you speak to his voters? Or maybe people who just share his values but are open to something else?

[00:08:00]  Kamala Harris 
I. Based on experience and a lived experience? No. In my heart, I know in my soul, I know that the vast majority of us, as Americans, have so much more in common than what separates us. And I also believe that I am accurate in knowing that most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans, and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other.

[00:08:36]   
I think people are exhausted with that approach, to be honest with you. I think people want a leader who has common sense and tries to find common ground. I'm supported by over 200 Republicans who worked for both presidents Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. I'm supported by the former vice president Dick Cheney, former Congressmember Liz Cheney, and I think people are more willing now, um, in light of the hate and division that we see coming out of Donald Trump, to say, hey, let's put country first.

[00:09:17]   
And I think that just makes us stronger and more healthy as a country to say, look, we can all debate our differences around various policies, but let's stop with the division. Like, enough of that. Let's bring everybody together.

[00:09:34]  Brian Taff 
And finally, as you introduce yourself to America in a new way, they've heard much of your story at the Democratic National Convention and in that debate earlier this week. If there's one thing that you wish Americans knew about who Kamala Harris is that you don't think they know yet, what would that be?

[00:09:53]  Kamala Harris 
I don't know. I mean, probably it's not very different from anybody watching right now. I love my family. Um, one of my favorite things that I lately have not been able to do is Sunday family dinner. I love to cook. I, um, have incredible friends. My best friend from kindergarten is still my best friend.

[00:10:17]   
Um, I think that, um, I mean, I have a career that really, and I said it the other day, you know, as a career prosecutor, I never asked a victim of crime, were they a Republican or a Democrat. The only thing I ever asked them is, are you okay? And I think that's the approach that most Americans want, regardless of who they voted for in the last election, in, um, terms of turning the page and charting the way forward.

[00:10:49]  Brian Taff 
I imagine you're looking forward to cooking Sunday dinner again.

[00:10:51]  Kamala Harris 
I am looking forward. I love, uh, yes, I am looking forward to cooking with the whole family. Gets involved. The kids each have their role. Yeah.

[00:11:00]  Brian Taff 
Well, it's a beautiful family, and we thank you for your time. Pleasure meeting you.

[00:11:04]  Kamala Harris 
Thank you, Brian. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all.

[00:11:08]  Brian Taff 
Wonderful. Thank you, guys.

[00:11:11]  Kamala Harris 
If you don't mind, we're going to do a crew photo. Yeah.