Kamala Harris Calls for Federal Ban on Price Gouging to Combat Rising Grocery Prices

Kamala Harris Advocates for Federal Ban on Price Gouging

In a significant move to address rising grocery prices, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to announce a call for a federal ban on corporate price gouging during a speech outlining her economic agenda this Friday. Campaign officials revealed this initiative late Wednesday, positioning it as a strategy to hold large corporations accountable for the ongoing high costs of essential consumer goods.

This proposed plan shares substantial similarities with initiatives that the Biden administration has been pursuing for several years, which target corporate consolidation and exploitative pricing practices. Notably, these efforts include initiatives aimed at fostering greater competition within the meat industry and the recent lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission seeking to block the merger of major grocery chains, Kroger and Albertsons.

The timing of this announcement aligns with internal discussions about making a strong rhetorical pivot to shift the narrative surrounding inflation and high costs, placing the blame squarely on corporate America. Polling data indicates that this argument resonates particularly well with voters, especially independents, who are crucial for the upcoming November elections. Progressive advocacy groups have been urging both President Biden and Vice President Harris to embrace this narrative wholeheartedly.

While details regarding the enforcement of a price-gouging ban remain sparse, Harris campaign officials indicated that she plans to establish a federal framework within her first 100 days. This framework would aim to set “clear rules of the road” that prevent large corporations from taking unfair advantage of consumers to inflate their profits on groceries and food items.

• The campaign promises that Ms. Harris would empower the Federal Trade Commission to impose severe penalties on companies found guilty of price-fixing.
• She plans to allocate additional resources to investigate price-gouging practices within the meat supply chain.
• Harris is also expected to advocate for closer scrutiny of proposed mergers in the grocery sector.

In addition to addressing grocery prices, the Vice President is expected to unveil initiatives targeting housing costs and prescription drug prices during her speech. While numerous states have established bans against price gouging, a comprehensive federal prohibition has yet to be enacted.