Vice President Kamala Harris, tasked with rebranding President Biden’s economic legacy during the 2024 campaign, has found herself pitching a controversial economic plan.
As reported by Townhall, back in August, Harris introduced her first economic proposal centered on “price gouging” regulations. Many say it’s reminiscent of historical communist-style price controls and a misguided approach to curbing inflation, especially as her administration’s own spending habits have fueled economic instability.
Kamala Harris has proposed price controls as part of her economic plan.”I thought we would’ve learned by now that price controls do not work,” says Fmr. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. pic.twitter.com/YLEiWfNEEv
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) August 20, 2024
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Critics across the aisle, including some Democrats, have dismissed her approach as disconnected from market realities.
Harris’s proposal focuses on implementing federal restrictions on grocery prices to shield consumers from inflation. Yet, the math doesn’t quite add up.
CNN admits Kamala’s plans for price controls has been a disaster everywhere.
“We‘ve seen this kind of thing tried in lots of other countries before. Venezuela, Argentina, the Soviet Union…it leads to shortages” and would “cause a lot of harm.”
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 16, 2024
Grocery stores already operate on razor-thin margins, often making a mere fraction of the dollar on each sale. By enforcing price caps, Harris risks disrupting an already fragile supply chain and limiting the ability of small businesses to stay afloat.
Ironically, this could lead to the very shortages and inflated costs she claims to combat.
The Harris campaign is trying to convince everyone supermarkets are price gouging – and price controls will fix the problem.
The data doesn’t match their claim.
The actual profit margin for grocery stores remain between a very low 1 and 3% while grocery prices have skyrocketed. pic.twitter.com/RdQf3UO8lb
— Craig Chamberlin (@CraigChamberlin) November 1, 2024
Still, Harris is pressing on, doubling down on her “price gouging” platform just hours before Americans cast their votes.
I will lower the cost of everyday essentials for families and pass the first-ever ban on corporate price gouging on food and groceries. pic.twitter.com/jA4zkMGbrq
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 3, 2024
Kamala Harris brags about price controls through a ban on “price gouging.” pic.twitter.com/AkNv3PVxEt
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) October 29, 2024
It’s clear she’s betting on anti-corporate rhetoric to appeal to frustrated consumers. But for those who understand the complexities of the supply chain, the pitch may feel more like a simplistic soundbite than a viable solution.
As Election Day looms, Harris’s last-minute economic push has raised eyebrows, especially since the effects of price controls have been scrutinized over decades.
Many fear her plan will only create more problems for average Americans who already bear the weight of rising costs. Time will tell if voters buy into Harris’s economic gamble or if they see it as another misguided attempt at government overreach.
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