WASHINGTON — Minnesota’s Democratic vice presidential candidate, Gov. Tim Walz, unveiled his ticket’s plans Tuesday to enhance the lives of rural voters, as Vice President Kamala Harris seeks to chip away at former President Donald Trump’s assist.
The Harris-Walz plan features a deal with bettering rural well being care, similar to plans to recruit 10,000 new well being professionals in rural and tribal areas by way of scholarships, mortgage forgiveness and new grant packages, in addition to financial and agricultural coverage priorities . The plan was detailed to The Associated Press by a senior marketing campaign official on situation of anonymity forward of its official launch.
It marks a concerted effort by the Democratic marketing campaign to chip away at Trump’s traditionally favorable voting bloc within the ultimate three weeks earlier than Election Day. According to AP VoteCast, Trump prevailed amongst rural voters in 2020 by a margin of practically two to 1. In the hotly contested race, each Democrats and Republicans are reaching past their historic bases in hopes of profitable over a slice of voters that would finally show decisive.
Walz, sporting a flannel coat and camouflage discipline hat, introduced the plan throughout a cease in rural Lawrence County in western Pennsylvania, a serious battleground for the 2024 contest. He’s additionally starring in a brand new industrial marketing campaign radio play that highlights his roots in a small city of 400 folks and his time as a soccer coach, whereas attacking Trump and his operating mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
“In a small city, you do not deal with politics, you deal with caring for your neighbors and minding your personal enterprise,” Walz says within the advert, which the marketing campaign says will air on greater than 500 rural radio stations. in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. “Now Donald Trump and JD Vance do not suppose like us. They are in it for themselves.
The Harris-Walz plan calls on Congress to completely increase telehealth protection below Medicare, a pandemic-era profit that has helped thousands and thousands of individuals entry care that’s set to run out on the finish of 2024. They additionally name for grants to assist voluntary EMS packages to cut back the variety of Americans residing greater than 25 minutes from an ambulance by half.
It additionally urges Congress to reinstate the Affordable Connectivity Program, a program launched by President Joe Biden that expired in June that offered as much as $30 off house Internet payments, and for lawmakers to require gear producers to ensure farmers the appropriate to restore their merchandise.
