Kamala Harris claims her $1.7 trillion fiscal proposal will 'pay for itself'

VP and Democrat presidential pick Kamala Harris toured western Pennsylvania on Sunday in her tour bus, greeting Americans at staged campaign stops and searching for bags of Doritos at Sheetz. She stopped to take a few questions from press and offered an explanation for her recently revealed fiscal plans to fix prices for goods and federally regulate housing.

"You unveiled your economic policy last week," a reporter began, "can you explain how you're gonna pay for those and can you give us a sense of what other policies you'll unveil going forward." The proposals are estimated to increase the national debt by $1.7 trillion.

"Sure," Harris answered, as Tim Walz, arm around his wife Gwen, and Harris' husband Doug Emhoff looked on. "You just look at it in terms of what we are talking about, for example around children."

Harris has been criticized for being anti-child after she voted against Trump's child tax credit when she was a senator in 2017. She broached the idea again, this time in favor of it, after Donald Trump and JD Vance vowed to bring it back. She has promised to extend the Earned Income Tax Credit.

"And the child tax credit and extending the EITC," she continued, "that, at $6,000, for the first year of a child's life. The return on that investment, in terms of what that will do and what it will pay for, will be tremendous. We've seen it when we did it, in the first year of our administration, we reduced child poverty by over 50 percent. So that's a lot of the work." 

"And then what we're doing in terms of the tax credits, we know that there's a great return on investment. When we increase homeownership in America, what that means in terms of increasing the tax base, not to mention property tax base," husband Emhoff nods along in the background while the Walzes look ready to get back on the bus, "what that does to fund schools, again: return on investment."

Harris had been asked how she would pay for her proposed initiative to build 3 million new homes during her first 100 days in office and offer $25,000 for every first time home buyer. Her answer was that there would be a vague return on investment having to do with the future of children. Indeed, her campaign claims to be fighting for the future, though it's unclear what that means in practical terms.

"I think it's a mistake for any person who talks about public policy to not critically evaluate how you measure the return on investment," Harris went on. "When you are strengthening neighborhoods, strengthening communities, and in particular the economies of those communities, and investing in a broad-based economy, everybody benefits. And it pays for itself."

In addition to the 3 million homes, expanded child tax credit, $25,000 downpayment assistance, and price-controls, Harris offered medical debt forgiveness. Harris said that the plan "pays for itself," indicating that future earners would have enough money to pay more in taxes.

The campaign has said that additional costs would be paid for by the wealthy, on whom she plans to increase taxes, as well as by an increase in corporate taxes, though that could result in a decline in investment or job creation by corporations in the US. Her plans have been criticized by numerous economists and media outlets, including the Washington Post. Obama-era economist Jason Furman said her plans could result in "bigger shortages, less supply and ultimately risk higher prices and worse outcomes for consumers."

Harris spoke to the press for about three minutes. She has not held a press conference nor given a proper interview since taking over at the top of the ticket from Joe Biden, who was forced out by party elites who felt he was no longer a sure bet to win a second term.