Vice President Kamala Harris promised Saturday to work to get rid of taxes on suggestions paid to restaurant and different service business staff, echoing a pledge that her opponent, Republican Donald Trump, has made, and marking a uncommon occasion of political overlap from either side.
Harris made the announcement at a rally on the campus of the College of Nevada, Las Vegas, the place the economic system depends closely on the lodge, restaurant and leisure industries. Trump vowed basically the identical factor at his personal rally within the metropolis in June — although neither he nor Harris are probably to have the ability to totally try this with out actions from Congress.
“It is my promise to everyone here that, when I am president, we will continue our fight for working families of America,” Harris mentioned. “Including to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.”
Trump responded on his social media website a short while later, posting that Harris “just copied my NO TAXES ON TIPS Policy.”
“The difference is, she won’t do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes!,” the previous president wrote. “This was a TRUMP idea – She has no ideas, she can only steal from me.”
Harris’ marketing campaign mentioned afterward that as president she would work with Congress to draft a proposal that features an revenue restrict and different provisions to maintain hedge fund managers and legal professionals from structuring their compensation to attempt to make the most of the coverage. She additionally would push for the proposal alongside one to extend the federal minimal wage.
Harris and her working mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, got here to Nevada as the ultimate cease of a 5 battleground-state blitz through which their social gathering has proven new vitality after President Joe Biden exited the race and endorsed Harris. On Sunday, the vp is holding a San Francisco fundraiser that has already raised greater than $12 million, her marketing campaign mentioned, with Home Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi amongst these set to talk.
There have been 12,000-plus folks contained in the campus basketball enviornment on Saturday and, earlier than the occasion began, native legislation enforcement halted entry to the occasion as a result of folks have been turning into unwell whereas ready exterior in 109-degree warmth to undergo safety. About 4,000 folks have been in line when the entrances have been closed.
Walz referenced that in his speech, however turned it into an applause line by telling Nevada, “don’t worry, we’re going to be back a lot.”
As a part of the journey, Harris is hoping to construct better help amongst Latino voters. In 2020, Biden narrowly defeated Trump by 2.4 share factors in Nevada.
The 60,000-strong Culinary Employees Union introduced its endorsement of Harris. About 54% of the union’s members are Latino, 55% girls and 60% immigrants. The union additionally issued a press release supporting Harris’ name for the next minimal wage and to “ensure that there are no taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.”
Harris made her promise on eliminating tip taxation as a part of a broader attraction to strengthen the nation’s center class, seizing on a theme that was a centerpiece of Biden’s now-defunct reelection bid.
“We believe in a future where we lower the cost of living for America’s families so they have a chance, not just to get by, but to get ahead,” she mentioned.
AP VoteCast present in 2020 that 14% of Nevada voters have been Hispanic, with Biden successful 54% of their votes. His margin with Hispanic voters was barely higher nationwide, an indication that Democrats can not take this bloc of voters without any consideration.
“There’s an incredible energy here among the college students and community members who are coming together to support and listen to our next president, Kamala Harris,” mentioned Imer Cespedes-Alvarado, 21. Learning political science at UNLV, Cespedes-Alvarado is a primary technology American citizen who spent his childhood in Costa Rica earlier than making the tough resolution at 16 to return alone to the U.S. for higher alternatives.
The vp additionally promised to deal with immigration, leaning closely into the difficulty as she did the earlier night time throughout a rally in Arizona.
“We know that our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it,” Harris mentioned in Las Vegas. She additionally endorsed an “earned pathway to citizenship” for some folks within the nation illegally and slammed Trump, who she mentioned “talks a big game about border security but he does not walk the walk.”
The vp has in latest weeks tried to grab the political offensive on a problem that Trump and prime Republicans have often used to slam her and the Biden administration. In doing so, Harris is hoping to drive a wedge with Republicans.
As a result of the vp’s portfolio within the Biden administration included the basis causes of migration, and resulting from a few of her feedback earlier than the 2020 election, many main GOP voices have sought to painting her as weak on the southern border and enabling unlawful immigration.
Trump himself has mentioned of Harris, “As a border czar, she’s been the worst border czar in history, in the world history.”
The previous president proposed mass deportations if he returns to the White Home, however AP VoteCast present in 2020 that just about 7 in 10 Nevada voters mentioned that immigrants dwelling in the US illegally needs to be supplied the possibility to use for authorized standing.
Nonetheless, coverage apart, most of the rallygoers in Las Vegas mentioned they have been thrilled to see the brand new vitality Harris and Walz have delivered to the race.
Krista Corridor, 60, and her husband Thaddeus Hager, 58, mentioned they haven’t been extra enthusiastic about an election since Barack Obama’s marketing campaign in 2008.
“This is as electric, if not more than,” Corridor mentioned, noting that they attended a number of Obama rallies on the time. Hager mentioned he’s assured that Harris and Walz will “win in a landslide.”
The Democratic ticket over the previous week additionally visited the essential midwestern “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Together with Nevada and Arizona these states signify 61 electoral votes that may very well be important for reaching the 270 threshold required to win on Election Day.
Brian Shaw, a Republican from northern Nevada, mentioned Harris’ arrival on the highest of the ticket might make it tougher for Trump to win as a result of Biden was a “pitiful candidate” and there’s little time to show the vp’s “incompetence.” He mentioned he attended Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s rally in Reno on July 30 and located him to be “likable, capable, polished as a politician, but not veneered.”
