Whitmer argues price control policy ‘speaks to Kamala Harris’s values’

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) defended Vice President Kamala Harris 's proposed ban on price gouging, saying it speaks to Harris's values and some people are looking too far into it.

Harris held a policy speech on Friday, during which she unveiled her economic proposals, including the price gouging ban, which many have criticized as price controls similar to those that have been unsuccessful in other countries. Whitmer, speaking on NBC News's Meet the Press on Sunday, argued that people are reading too much into the price gouging proposal.

"Well, I think people are reading too much into what has been put out there. We know that Kamala Harris is going to be focused on building up more affordable housing. We know that Kamala Harris has already delivered on making sure that healthcare is more accessible and affordable for Americans," Whitmer said, also touting Harris's call for an "opportunity economy."

When asked if she thinks Harris's proposal is a "gimmick," as many critics of the policy have proclaimed, Whitmer, a co-chairwoman for Harris’s campaign, argued it shows Harris's "values."

"I think it speaks to Kamala Harris's values that she wants consumers to keep more money in their pockets. She wants hard-working Americans to be able to get ahead. She wants to make sure that there is corporate responsibility," Whitmer said.

"We know we have to have business growth in this country: small business growth, big business growth for good paying jobs. But we also know that you can't gouge and hurt the American consumer just to pad your bottom line. And I think there's a balance there, and I think that's what this is all about," Whitmer added.

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Whitmer would not say if the proposal was smart policy but contended that every idea to reduce citizens' costs is "worth walking the path and having the conversations."

The Democratic National Convention, at which Harris is scheduled to accept the party's nomination in a prime-time speech on Thursday, will begin on Monday in Chicago .