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In Kamala Harris’s first speech as Democratic presumptive nominee for President of the United States (she has since been confirmed and is now the official nominee), her energy about her plans for office was enthralling. Among them include commitments to resolutely defend the right to abortion, passing a ban on assault weapons, the continuation of child and health care subsidies, alongside the creation of a family leave programme. It is expected that she will seek to continue Biden's legislative progress with the focus on implementing the seismic bills that he passed during his Presidency. Foreign affairs present a different challenge to Harris, as it is something that she has had minimal involvement in during her time as Vice President over the past four years. Whilst pundits and commentators can speculate (this article will do a lot of that), her legislative agenda is dependent on many variables, some of which are out of her control. Should the Democrat party win the House, the Senate, and the White House, Kamala Harris will have a lot more power with which to pass bills more in line with her personal aims. However, should there be divided government, in which the Republicans control one or more chambers of Congress, as is more likely, she will be inhibited in passing laws, forcing her to compromise leading to bills that are watered down.
Kamala Harris’s prior record in the Senate and as a prosecutor are good foundations upon which to speculate what her agenda may look like as President. As prosecutor, she was tough-on-crime before transitioning into a more progressive actor. In the 2020 Democratic primaries, she ran to Joe Biden's left, attacking him in one debate for his prior opposition to racial integration through busing. As Vice President, she has been given the responsibilities for securing voting rights, tackling the roots of illegal immigration, and defending the right to abortion. Where she has performed with grit, determination, and energy on defending the right to abortion, she has struggled on immigration, facing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for failing to visit the border for over three months after being given the immigration responsibility.
Are Harris's policies enough to seize the victory?
On abortion, a huge wedge issue in the USA after the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal Roe vs Wade, Harris has performed best. She has already pledged to sign a law if passed by Congress to restore reproductive freedoms. She is most effective when speaking about this issue, being far more vocal than Biden who failed to mention the issue in his State of the Union speech despite it being included. Further, she became the first Vice President to ever visit an abortion clinic, attempting to use the issue to mobilise voters and outmanoeuvre her opponent, Donald Trump. She leads Trump by 12% on this issue, highlighting it as both a basic right and basic health care, portraying Trump as a leader who wishes to revoke freedoms for Americans. Expect this to be at the front and centre of her campaign, and if she wins, at the forefront of her domestic agenda. This will be of course contingent on the Democrat party winning both chambers of Congress, as it is extremely unlikely that Republicans would agree to pass legislation acceptable to Harris should they win at least one chamber.
With regards to Foreign Policy, it is likely that she will again pursue a similar direction to Mr Biden. This area of Government and the power the Presidency wields is less contingent on the makeup of Congress and so therefore will allow Kamala to pursue her own agenda with fewer checks. It is likely that she will maintain the same line on Ukraine, namely, advocating a rules-based international order, embracing Ukraine in its struggle, and seeking to donate as much military and financial aid as is required for them to push back their Russian occupiers. Where there may be some difference in tone is on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Harris hails from a different political era to Biden, where Biden remembers the first 30 years of Israel’s existence as a fledgling democracy in the Middle East, Harris comes from a generation less open with its embrace of the country. This was best highlighted when Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu addresses Congress. Harris, who normally would be expected to be present at the event, made herself conspicuously unavailable, instead opting to meet the Israeli PM privately the following day. This will not mean US policy regarding the conflict in the Middle East will change drastically, it will not, but expect to see her being far more vocal regarding the plight of Palestinians. She was already the first in the Biden administration to call for an immediate temporary cease fire, further suggesting that she will pursue a slightly different course, however, this will be constrained by Democrats' long standing support for Israel.
Overall, a Harris agenda will seek to further Biden’s progress through the implementation of bills passed during his Presidency, namely the Inflation Reduction Act and his Infrastructure plan. With regard to social issues, she will highlight the injustices regarding abortion rights and the rowing back of voting rights in some states. Provided that the makeup of Congress is favourable, she will seek to sign bills formally protecting those rights, however, that depends on an improbable electoral result. Her foreign policy will also be a continuation of Bidens, however, there may exist a change in tone regarding the conflict in the Middle East. Overall, unforeseen events will shape a Presidency, how Harris reacts to those is what will make or break her Presidency. To get there, she has to win first.
Links to Further Reading
Can Kamala Harris win? - The Economist
Which Kamala Harris is now at the top of the Democratic ticket? - The Economist
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