CBS Correspondent Pushes Kamala Harris on Specifics of $50K Small Business Plan: ‘We’re Dealing with the Real World’

Vice President Kamala Harris was mentioned during a “60 Minutes” interview when asked about the specifics of her plan to boost small businesses after CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker accused her of being unrealistic.

Harris, 59, was unable to explain how her fiscal policies would work in the “real world,” including passing both chambers of what is likely to be a divided Congress.

“My plan is about saying when you invest in small businesses, you invest in the middle class and you strengthen America’s economy,” Harris told Whitaker during the hearing, which will be broadcast in full at 8 p.m. ET.

“Small businesses are part of the backbone of America’s economy,” she reiterated.

“Excuse me, Madam Vice President, the question was, ‘How are you going to pay for it?'” Whitaker interrupted.

“Well, one of the things I’ll make sure,” Harris began, blinking repeatedly in surprise at the questioner’s reaction, “is that the wealthiest among us—who can afford it—pay their fair share in taxes.”

“It’s not fair that teachers, nurses and firefighters pay a higher tax rate than billionaires and the biggest corporations. And I plan to make that fair,” she continued.

“But we’re dealing with the real world here,” Whitaker interjected. “How are you going to get this through Congress?”

“You know, when you talk quietly to a lot of people in Congress, they know exactly what I’m talking about because their constituents know exactly what I’m talking about,” the vice president said before repeating herself again. “Their constituents are those firefighters, teachers and nurses.”

Harris’ economic agenda — which includes raising the amount of tax credits offered to startups to $50,000 — is estimated to add $3.5 trillion to the national debt, according to a nonpartisan analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released Monday. even when taxes go up. on corporations, the ultra-rich and others to the tune of $4.25 trillion.

Billionaires and other high earners also pay no lower taxes than teachers, nurses or firefighters, according to analyzes by the US Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office.

The top 1% income bracket bears 46% of the country’s tax burden with a current tax rate of 37%, according to economists.

The average tax rate for teachers, nurses and firefighters based on the average earnings of these occupations is 22% – but can be as high as 12% for married couples and heads of households.

Critics have seized on Harris’ word salads during her time in office, which has led her to be compared to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ sullen character Selina Meyer on HBO’s Veep.

Often, the vice president resorts to repetition when asked to clarify her positions — most recently in an interview last week with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, when Harris used the word “holistic” three times in 23 seconds.