Harris pledges to work to end taxes on tips for service industry employees, echoing Trump vow

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris promised Saturday to work to eliminate taxes on tips paid to restaurant and other service industry employees, echoing a pledge that her opponent, Republican Donald Trump, has made, and marking a rare instance of political overlap from both sides.

Harris made the announcement at a rally on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where the economy relies heavily on the hotel, restaurant and entertainment industries. Trump vowed essentially the same thing at his own rally in the city in June — though neither he nor 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 the minimum wage 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 NO TAXES ON TIPS Policy.”

“The difference is, she won’t do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes!,” the former president wrote. “This was a TRUMP idea - She has no ideas, she can only steal from me.”

Harris' campaign said afterward that as president she would work with Congress to draft a proposal that includes an income limit and other provisions to keep hedge fund managers and lawyers from structuring their compensation to try to take advantage of the policy. She also would push for the proposal alongside one to increase the federal minimum wage.

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, came to Nevada as the final stop of a five battleground-state blitz in which their party has shown new energy after President Joe Biden exited the race and endorsed Harris. On Sunday, the vice president is holding a San Francisco fundraiser that has already raised more than $12 million, her campaign said, with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi among those set to speak.

There were 12,000-plus people inside the campus basketball arena on Saturday and, before the event started, local law enforcement halted entry to the event because people were becoming ill while waiting outside in 109-degree heat to go through security. About 4,000 people were in line when the entrances were closed.

Walz referenced that during his speech, but turned it into an applause line by telling Nevada, "don’t worry, we’re going to be back a lot.”

As part of the trip, Harris is hoping to build greater support among Latino voters. In 2020, Biden narrowly defeated Trump by 2.4 percentage points in Nevada.

The 60,000-strong Culinary Workers Union announced its endorsement of Harris. About 54% of the union's members are Latino, 55% women and 60% immigrants. The union also issued a statement supporting Harris' call for a higher minimum wage and to “ensure that there are no taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.”

Harris made her promise on eliminating tip taxation as part of a broader appeal to strengthen the nation's middle class, seizing on a theme that was a centerpiece of Biden's now-defunct reelection bid.

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

AP VoteCast found in 2020 that 14% of Nevada voters were Hispanic, with Biden winning 54% of their votes. His margin with Hispanic voters was slightly better nationwide, a sign that Democrats cannot take this bloc of voters for granted.

“There’s an incredible energy here among the college students and community members who are coming together 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 the difficult decision at 16 to return alone to the U.S. for better opportunities.

The vice president also promised to tackle immigration, leaning heavily into the issue as she did the previous night during a rally in Arizona.

“We know that our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it," Harris said in Las Vegas. She also endorsed an “earned pathway to citizenship” for some people in the country illegally and slammed Trump, who she said “talks a big game about border security but he does not walk the walk.”

The vice president has in recent weeks tried to seize the political offensive on an issue that Trump and top Republicans have frequently used to slam her and the Biden administration. In doing so, Harris is hoping to drive a wedge with Republicans.

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

Trump himself has said of Harris, “As a border czar, she's been the worst border czar in history, in the world history.”

The former president proposed mass deportations if he returns to the White House, but AP VoteCast found in 2020 that nearly 7 in 10 Nevada voters said that immigrants living in the United States illegally should be offered the chance to apply for legal status.

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

Krista Hall, 60, and her husband Thaddeus Hager, 58, said they haven’t been more excited about an election since Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008.

“This is as electric, if not more than,” Hall said, noting that they attended several Obama rallies at the time. Hager said he’s confident that Harris and Walz will “win in a landslide.”

The Democratic ticket over the past week also visited the 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 the 270 threshold required to win on Election Day.

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

Weissert and Boak reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Supporters carry signs as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

A supporter listens as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are pictured at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Attendees arrive before a campaign rally with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks at the Sheraton hotel, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, Pool)

Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attend a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Rossana Montes, an immigrant from Peru, wears a hat decorated to support Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris before Harris speaks at a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, from second left, and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz walk to a motorcade at Harry Reid International Airport, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attend a campaign rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks at the Sheraton hotel, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, Pool)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives as she is introduced by running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans began voting Saturday in a presidential election that will determine the course of the country's recovery from its worst economic crisis and resulting political upheaval.

The election, contested by 38 candidates, is largely a three-way race among incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected Sunday.

The results will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership over the country's fragile recovery, including restructuring its debt under an International Monetary Fund program after it defaulted in 2022.

The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.

Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion at the time it defaulted, and the government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.

Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling under high taxes and living costs.

Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion in assistance pledged by the IMF that's crucial to maintaining stability.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.

The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Now, Wickremesinghe is seeking another term to strengthen the gains.

However, many people accuse him of protecting members of the Rajapaksa family, whom they blame for the economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, who was the only member of his party in Parliament, was elected mainly with the votes of Rajapaksa loyalists. They also supported him as members of his Cabinet and in voting for the reforms he proposed.

Election officials leave a distribution center after collecting polling material for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Police officers wait for transport to travel to polling stations ahead of the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A police officer stands guard outside a polling material distribution center ahead of the presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's opposition leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa speaks to his supporters during a public rally in Thalawakele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Women election officials walk past security personnel outside a distribution center before collecting polling materials for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)