Harris Pledges to Work to End Taxes on Tips for Service Industry Employees, Echoing Trump Vow

Las Vegas: Vice President Kamala Harris promised Saturday to work to eliminate taxes on tips paid to restaurant workers and or service employees, echoing a pledge that her opponent in vember, Donald Trump, has made, and creating a rare instance of political overlap from both sides.

Harris made anuncement at a rally on campus of University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where ecomy relies heavily on hotel, restaurant and entertainment industries.

Trump vowed essentially same thing at his own rally in city in June — though neir he r Harris are likely to be able to fully do that without actions from Congress.

"It is my promise to everyone here that, when I am president, we will continue our fight for working families of America,” Harris said. “Including to raise minimum w and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.” Trump responded on his social media site a short time later, posting that Harris “just copied my TAXES ON TIPS Policy.” “ difference is, she won't do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes!,” former president wrote. “This was a TRUMP idea - She has ideas, she can only steal from me.” Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, came to Nevada as final stop of a battleground blitz in which ir party has shown new energy after President Joe Biden exited race and endorsed Harris. On Sunday, vice president is holding a San Francisco fundraiser that has already raised more than USD 12 million, her campaign said, with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi among those set to speak.

re were 12,000-plus people inside campus basketball arena on Saturday and, before event started, local law enforcement opted to close doors to event due to people becoming ill while waiting outside to go through security in 109-degree heat. Approximately 4,000 people were in line when entrances were shut down.

Walz referenced that during his speech, but turned it into an applause line by adding of Nevada, "don't worry, we're going to be back a lot.” As part of trip, Harris is hoping to build greater support among Lati voters. In 2020, Biden narrowly beat Republican Trump by 2.4 percent points in Nevada. Trump, former president, tried to create more support in a state that relies on service industry with his own, previous pledge to make workers' tips tax-free.

But union representing 60,000 workers in that industry, Culinary Workers Union, anunced its endorsement of Harris. About 54 per cent of union's members are Lati, 55 per cent women and 60 per cent immigrants.

“ path to victory runs through Nevada,” union said in a statement, “and Culinary Union will deliver Nevada for President Kamala Harris and Vice President Tim Walz.” Harris made her promise on eliminating tip taxation as part of a broader appeal to strengn nation's middle class, seizing on a me that was a centrepiece of Biden's w-defunct reelection bid.

“We believe in a future where we lower cost of living for America's families so y have a chance, t just to get by, but to get ahead,” she said.

AP VoteCast found in 2020 that 14 per cent of Nevada voters were Hispanic, with Biden winning 54 per cent of ir votes. His margin with Hispanic voters was slightly better nationwide, a sign that Democrats cant take this bloc of voters for granted.

“re's an incredible energy here among college students and community members who are coming toger to support and listen to our next president, Kamala Harris,” said Imer Cespedes-Alvarado, 21. Studying political science at UNLV, Cespedes-Alvarado is a first generation American citizen who spent his childhood in Costa Rica before making difficult decision at 16 to return alone to US for better opportunities.

vice president also promised to “address issue of immigration,” leaning heavily into issue as she did previous night during a rally in Arizona.

“We kw that our immigration system is broken, and we kw what it takes to fix it," Harris told crowd at UNLV. She also endorsed an “earned pathway to citizenship” for some people in country illegally and slammed Trump, who she said “talks a big game about border security but he does t walk walk.” vice president has in recent weeks tried to seize political offensive on an issue that Trump and top Republicans have frequently used to slam her and Biden administration. In doing so, Harris is hoping to drive a wedge with Republicans.

Because vice president's portfolio in Biden administration included root causes of migration, and due to some of her comments before 2020 election, many leading GOP voices have sought to portray her as weak on sourn border and enabling illegal immigration.

Trump himself has said of Harris, “As a border czar, she's been worst border czar in history, in world history.” former president proposed mass deportations if he returns to White House, but AP VoteCast found in 2020 that nearly 7 in 10 Nevada voters said that immigrants living in United States illegally should be offered chance to apply for legal status.

Still, policy aside, many of rallygoers in Las Vegas said y were thrilled to see new energy Harris and Walz have brought to race.

Krista Hall, 60, and her husband Thaddeus Hr, 58, said y haven't been more excited about an election since President Barack Obama's campaign in 2008.

“This is as electric, if t more than,” Hall said, ting that y attended several Obama rallies at time. Hr said he's confident that Harris and Walz will “win in a landslide.” Democratic ticket over past week also visited crucial midwestern “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Along with Nevada and Arizona those states represent 61 electoral votes that could be essential for reaching 270 threshold required to win on Election Day.

In Nevada's rural Douglas County near California border, Gail Scott, 71, serves on central committee of local Democratic Party and said she didn't initially agree with calls for Biden to leave race. Trump won county in 2016 and 2020, but trimming his margins re could lower his ability to compete in Nevada.

Scott said it's impossible to miss energy that Harris has created among younger voters who could help statewide.

“Young people are embracing Kamala Harris and enthusiasm and joy that she's brought to campaign,” she said.

Brian Shaw, a Republican from rrn Nevada, said Harris' arrival on top of ticket could make it harder for Trump to win because Biden was a “pitiful candidate” and re's little time to expose vice president's “incompetence.” He said he attended Republican vice presidential minee JD Vance's rally in Re on July 30 and found him to be “likable, capable, polished as a politician, but t veneered.”