Food and grocery bills are hurting Americans. Harris will unveil first ever gouging ban

WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, on Friday will call for the first-ever federal ban on price-gouging from food and grocery industries — hitting on a policy that is among the top concerns for many Americans.

“There’s a big difference between good business that’s responsive to markets and excessive prices that are unrelated to the costs of doing business,” the Harris campaign said in a release of the proposal.

Harris will deliver a major economic speech in North Carolina on Friday, where she will announce the plan. She will also unveil proposals related to drug costs and housing costs, the campaign said.

Friday’s speech will be the vice president’s first policy-centered speech since she skyrocketed to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden stepped aside from the 2024 presidential race.

Over the weekend, Harris came out in support of eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers, a policy Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump has also proposed.

Inflation has eased in the past several months. In the 12 months through July, consumer prices rose a modest 2.9%, the Labor Department reported Wednesday in its consumer price index — dipping below 3% for the first time since March 2021.

Despite inflation easing, it’s still the top concern for many Americans. A Gallup poll released earlier this year found that 41% of Americans said inflation or the high cost of living is the most financial problem facing their family – up for 35% in 2023 and 32% in 2022.

Harris’ proposal would set rules for corporations so they don’t exploit consumers to run up excessive corporate profits on food and groceries. As part of the proposal, the FTC and state attorneys general would also be given authority to investigate and impose harsh penalties on corporations who break those rules.

Trump slammed Harris on inflation and the cost of living during his own speech in North Carolina on Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harris targets price-gouging on food and grocery in proposal