RALEIGH, NC — Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday announced a sweeping package of economic policy proposals designed to cut taxes and reduce the cost of food, housing and other essential goods for many Americans.

“Look, the bills add up,” she said, trying to address the financial concerns that most concern voters and for which Republican Donald Trump wants to blame her.

During a speech in the swing state of North Carolina, Harris said that “building the middle class will be a critical goal of my presidency” while unveiling her plan for a federal ban on price gouging by food producers and grocers. She also proposed a $25,000 down payment for certain first-time home buyers and tax breaks for entry-level home construction.

“Every day, families across our country talk about their plans for the future, their ambitions, their hopes for themselves and their children. And they talk about how to achieve those goals financially, because the bills are piling up,” Harris said. “Grocery, rent, gas, school uniforms, prescription drugs. After all of that, there’s not much left at the end of the month for many families.”

She emphasized tax breaks for families and middle- and low-income earners, and promised to increase the child tax credit to as much as $3,600 – and to as much as $6,000 for children in their first year. The vice president also wants to increase the earned income tax credit to cover people in low-paying jobs without children – which the campaign estimates would lower their effective tax rate by $1,500 – and reduce health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act.

Overall, the plans represent a continuation of many of the Biden administration’s priorities.

Harris doesn’t expect a radical departure from President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the race last month and endorsed her. Still, the vice president has embraced a dash of economic populism, shifting away from Biden’s emphasis on job creation and infrastructure and turning to issues more closely tied to lowering the cost of living – food prices, housing costs and tax relief for families.

Many of her proposals would require congressional approval, which is far from certain in the current political environment. And Harris’ campaign has offered few details about how the ideas will be funded.