Treasury Secretary Confirms Vice-President’s Commitment to Economic and Global Issues
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed confidence on July 25 that Vice-President Kamala Harris would maintain the United States’ leadership on global issues if elected president. Speaking at a Group of 20 finance leaders meeting in Brazil, Yellen emphasized that Harris shares President Biden’s core values, particularly in international and economic matters. Yellen described Harris as deeply understanding economic issues, highlighting her contributions to policies that support families, create jobs, and manage inflation.
Yellen’s comments followed Harris securing the Democratic nomination for president, and they reflect confidence in her ability to lead the country on the global stage. While Harris is primarily known for her domestic work on economic inequality, Yellen assured that she would continue Biden’s multilateral approach, focusing on climate change, hunger, pandemics, debt relief, and countering Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Additionally, Yellen discussed the risks of reversing key global initiatives, particularly in climate and tax cooperation. She warned that rolling back agreements such as the global corporate tax deal and financial support for Ukraine would harm both the global economy and the US’s standing in it.
The Treasury Secretary also expressed support for progressive taxation, though she declined to back Brazil’s proposal for a global tax on billionaires, emphasizing that tax policy coordination at the global level is complex. Yellen’s remarks reflect strong support for Harris’ global economic leadership.
