On NBC's “MTP Now” on Thursday, Ian Sams, national senior spokesman for the Harris-Waltz campaign, said that 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris' proposal “understands that there are very large, powerful interests that are scamming ordinary people, and then we need to actually use policy programs to confront them to provide relief to some people,” and that “this is something that I don't think we've talked about much over the last four years,” criticizing the “short-sighted view that there might be a big rift” between Harris and President Joe Biden. He also said that while Harris and Biden are “very different candidates” and have differences of opinion, “they've had amazing success under the Biden administration.”
“Broadly speaking, Harris has put forward some proposals, as you mentioned, like banning price gouging and a small increase in capital gains taxes, but how should people think about a Harris administration versus a Biden administration? What are the big differences? Ian, are there any big differences?”
Sams responded: “Well, we're starting to see some areas where we have a little bit of a disagreement about how to implement policy.”
Welker then cut in and said, “Around the edge.”
Sams responded, “Well, I don't think so. At the end of the day, they're very different candidates. I think the country and the voters see them as different people. I think people can see that President Biden and Vice President Harris are not the same person. When VP Harris talks about her values and priorities, and when you think about things like the price gouging proposal, she's someone who has spent 15, 20 years as a prosecutor fighting big powerful interests, big special interests, on behalf of ordinary citizens who have been wronged by them. So her policy proposals can be thought of with the understanding that there are really big powerful interests that are ripping off ordinary citizens and that we need to stand up to them with policy programs to give some people some relief. This is something that we haven't talked about much over the last four years, but again, [there are] It's a place where she can continue to develop and speak to ideas for the American people, and perhaps a place where she's a little bit different than President Biden.”
He added, “And the other thing is, I think, to bring forward ideas that build on and expand on the progress we've made under President Biden. I don't think it needs to be. I think there's probably a little bit of shortsightedness that there's going to be some major change. They're different candidates and I think they'll disagree on some things, but at the end of the day, there's been incredible success under this administration. What she's bringing forward is ideas to build on that and communicate her own values and vision as a candidate to the American people.”
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