Bharat Ramamurti, a key player in Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign, has risen to prominence as a major influence in shaping the government’s economic strategies, especially those focused on cancelling student loan debt and moving away from fossil fuels.
Having served as a former assistant to Elizabeth Warren and as the deputy director of the Biden White House National Economic Council, Ramamurti is recognised for his liberal approach to economic matters. He recently made headlines when he faced off with CNBC over the Biden-Harris proposal to tax unrealised capital gains. The network said the plan was “unfair” and “against the law,” causing a heated debate and few eye rolls.
Who is Bharat Rama?
Bharat Ramamurti, an American attorney and political adviser, recently joined Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign after she secured Biden’s endorsement. Ramamurti worked as the deputy director of the National Economic Council from 2021 to 2023, focusing on manufacturing, innovation, and domestic competitiveness sectors.
Currently, as a top advisor to Harris, he is constantly in the limelight as the presidential hopeful tries to move away from President Biden’s economic policies and worries about inflation.
Bharat Ramamurti’s early life and family
After completing his bachelor’s from Harvard College and his Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School, Bharat Ramamurti gained experience as an intern in the legal department and later worked as a litigator. His parents are from Tamil Nadu, India, and later got settled in the United States
According to Wikipedia his father, Ravi Ramamurti, also earned a doctorate from Harvard. This family tradition continued with Bharat’s twin siblings, Gita and Arjun Ramamurti according to Harvard magazine.
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Bharat Ramamurti’s career
The former aide of Elizabeth Warren he served as a senior counsel for banking and economic policy in Senate office from 2013 to 2019. Mr. Ramaurti then became the economic policy director of Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign. He later played a crucial role during the pandemic as a member of the COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission, appointed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He remained with the commission until December 2020 and in 2023 left the Biden administration.
Notable works
Ramamurti has been a vocal advocate for progressive policies, including clean energy, raising the minimum wage, taxing the wealthy, and extensive student debt cancellation asserting they are crucial for America’s future and politically advantageous. Despite criticisms that these policies contribute to inflation and rising national debt, Ramamurti defends them and views them as key to winning back the White House.
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CNBC clashes with Bharat Ramamurti
Hosts Rebecca Quick and Joe Kernen challenged Ramamurti on the tax proposal originally introduced by President Joe Biden and recently endorsed by Kamala Harris. The plan targets individuals with assets of $100 million or more who are not paying at least a 25% tax on their annual income.
“I think that this reaction to unrealized gains is a little funny, given that I bet that the majority of people watching right now are already paying a tax on unrealized gains. It’s called a property tax,” Mr Ramamurti said.
The hosts immediately pushed back, arguing that property taxes are a “use tax” because they fund schools. However, Ramamurti maintained that Harris’ plan, along with the revenue generated from the unrealized gains tax, would create greater opportunities for Americans. “it’s probably unconstitutional,” Kernen added last.
