WASHINGTON, Dec 2: US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has said that the next administration will be ready to hit the ground running on day one with the experienced economic team announced by President-elect Joe Biden.
Biden on Tuesday introduced key members of his economic team at an event in Wilmington, Delaware.
The team includes Janet Yellen as the Treasury Secretary, Indian-American Neera Tanden as the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Wally Adeyemo as the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Cecilia Rouse as the Chair of Council of Economic Advisers, and Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey as members of the Council of Economic Advisers.
“President-elect Biden and I, with this economic team, will be ready to hit the ground running on day one. Because that’s what this crisis demands. And that’s what the American people deserve,” Harris said.
“This is the team we need to deliver immediate economic relief to the American people, to get our economy back on track, and to make sure it works for working people. And as President-elect Biden noted earlier, completing that task could not be more urgent,” Harris said in Wilmington after Biden announced his economic team.
Cases of COVID-19 are spiking and beyond the tragic loss of life, the toll of this recession continues to mount, she said.
Across America, one in six adults with children say their families are hungry; one in three adults are having trouble paying their bills; and the number of open small businesses has fallen by nearly 30 percent due to this pandemic, while many others are hoping they can stay afloat until a vaccine is available, she noted.
“These are the struggles — the worries — that keep people up in the middle of the night. But Americans are not united by their worries alone. They’re united by their aspirations — for themselves and their families. Because no matter where you live or what language your grandmother speaks, everyone wants to be able to get a job and keep a job,” Harris said.
“No matter what your gender or who you love, everyone wants to be able to buy a home and keep a home. And no matter how you worship or who you voted for in this election, everyone wants to be able to give their children a decent education, even during a pandemic,” she said, adding that Biden and she understand that.
“We were raised to respect the dignity of work. That’s why I’ve always fought for working people — from standing up for middle class families who’d lost their homes in the Great Recession to joining picket lines to advance workers’ rights,” the Democratic leader said.
Harris said the new team members are some of America’s most brilliant minds. They are proven leaders, whose talents, achievements and life stories reflect the very best of the country, she said.
“And they not only have the experience and expertise to help end this economic crisis and put people back to work, they also share our commitment to building an economy (and) an America where everyone has access to a higher minimum wage and affordable health care,” she said.
“Paid family leave and paid sick leave. Homeownership and capital to start a small business. An America where opportunity is within reach for everyone. For all The People. So, we’ve got a lot of work to do, to build that America,” Harris said. (PTI)
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