What Harris Would Do If She Became President: NPR

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally on August 10, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally on August 10, 2024, in Las Vegas.

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Julia Nikhinson/AP

By the time most presidential candidates take the stage at their party’s national conventions, they have typically spent months defining their policy priorities.

But Vice President Harris only began her run on July 21, when President Biden he stepped aside and passed the baton to her.

While Democrats have been enthusiastic about the fresh energy Harris has led the race, her campaign speeches to date have been long on vibes and short on actual platforms. Many of her positions are based on proposals originally made by Biden that he and the Democrats failed to pass the bill in Congress.

As the Democratic National Convention kicks off this week, here are some highlights of what he’s said so far about what he’d do if he wins in November.

Vice President Harris talks with store owner Nick Meyer while campaigning with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on August 7, 2024.

Vice President Harris talks with store owner Nick Meyer while campaigning with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on August 7, 2024.

Kamil Krzaczyński/AFP


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Kamil Krzaczyński/AFP

The economy

Harris gave her first major political speech on what he would do to address the high costs of housing, groceries, health care and raising children. His proposals include:

  • Tax breaks for home builders with a goal of building 3 million new housing units in four years
  • Up to $25,000 in help with prepayment for first time home buyers
  • Up to $6,000 for low- and moderate-income families with new children
  • Up to $3,600 per child per year in an expanded version child tax credit
  • Ban on price speculation in the food sector, in particular meat prices in particular
  • Work with states to ban the use of medical debt in credit scores

In other campaign speeches, Harris said she would:

So far there have been few details on:

  • The overall costs of these new measures
  • Whether Harris would raise taxes or cut other spending to finance them
  • Who might qualify for the various incentives

Harris’s campaign he told Politico that would not raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000 a year.

Vice President Harris listens to Dr. Sarah Traxler speak during a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 14, 2024.

Vice President Harris listens to Dr. Sarah Traxler speak during a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on March 14, 2024.

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Stephen Maturan/AFP

Reproductive rights

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade In 2022, Harris became the chief administrative officer main voice on restoring abortion rights protections. He urged Congress to pass legislation to codify Roe deer protections and said he would sign it into law.

Health care

Harris supported the Biden administration’s efforts to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare. She said she would accelerate talks with drug companies. Like Biden, Harris has vowed to try to:

  • Cap the price of insulin at $35 for everyone, not just seniors
  • Cap out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 per year for everyone

Immigration

Harris said she supports comprehensive immigration reform with “an earned path to citizenship,” but did not specify specifics.

His campaign advertisements They say Harris would hire thousands of border agents, use technology to crack down on fentanyl and increase funding to stop human trafficking.

He said he would urge the Senate to revive a bipartisan border security bill that Republicans rejected. at the beginning of this year at the urging of former President Donald Trump. The bill would give her the power to close the border to migrants under certain conditions and would establish changes to the asylum process.

Vice President Harris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive for a meeting in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on July 25, 2024.

Vice President Harris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive for a meeting in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on July 25, 2024.

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More internal politics

  • Harris has promised to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, both of which are stalled in Congress.
  • He said he would address the issue armed violence urging Congress to pass universal background checks, “red flag” laws, and an assault weapons ban.

Foreign Policy

Harris has yet to give a major speech on foreign policy. But she has given extended observations after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, where she said she would “not remain silent” about the toll Israel’s war against Hamas has taken on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, even as she made clear she supported Israel’s right to defend itself.

Written by Anika Begay

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