Jonah Patel
Kamala Harris is a politician who made history as the first Black and South Asian woman to become Vice President of the United States. Harris has had a significant political career, serving as a US Senator, Attorney General of California, and District Attorney of San Francisco. In the 2024 election, she became the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, but lost to Donald Trump. Harris has been praised for her devotion to her alma mater, Howard University, and her commitment to truth and service. She has also been criticised for her handling of certain portfolios during her vice presidency, especially immigration. This introduction will explore Harris' political career, impact on America, and the legacy she has left thus far.
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What You'll Learn
Championed workers' rights
Kamala Harris has a strong record of championing workers' rights in America. Serving as the Chair of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, Harris has been instrumental in pushing through policies that empower workers, raise wages, and strengthen bargaining power.
Harris has been a vocal supporter of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. She has met with CWA leaders and members on several occasions, listening to their concerns and ensuring that the White House agenda aligns with their needs. Notably, she cancelled an appearance at an event to avoid crossing a picket line and changed her hotel reservations for another event to show solidarity with hotel workers.
Harris has been a lead sponsor and advocate for legislation that strengthens worker protections. She supported the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, and initiatives to enhance Occupational Safety and Health Act protections against heat stress in the workplace. Harris also led efforts to establish a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, providing domestic workers with essential job protections and rights.
Additionally, Harris has taken a strong stance against wage theft and labour law violations. She established a cooperative task force with the U.S. Department of Labor to increase investigations and enforcement actions against wage theft. Her efforts have secured significant settlements for workers who were underpaid or mistreated by their employers. Harris also played a crucial role in securing hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher and public employee pension funds, addressing the misrepresentations made by big banks about the value of their investments.
The Biden-Harris Administration has been recognised as one of the most pro-union and pro-worker administrations in recent decades. Their policies have included passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which creates green manufacturing jobs, lowers prescription drug costs, reduces health insurance costs, and incentivises companies to pay prevailing wages for construction jobs.
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Broke barriers for women and minorities
Kamala Harris has broken barriers for women and minorities in the United States. In 2020, she became the first Black and first South Asian woman to be elected Vice President of the United States, making her the highest-ranking woman ever in public service in the country. Harris is also the first HBCU graduate to receive a major presidential nomination.
Harris has had a trailblazing career, becoming the first Black district attorney of San Francisco, and the first Black and first South Asian woman to become a United States senator from California. As a young prosecutor in Alameda County, California, she took on tough cases at the height of the crack epidemic and also dealt with child sexual assault. Harris focused on aggressively prosecuting criminals but also creating paths to rehabilitation, helping non-violent offenders get job training and keeping young offenders in school.
Harris's political career has been marked by her commitment to labour rights and social justice. As vice president, she served as a crucial part of the most pro-labour administration in recent times, breathing new life into domestic manufacturing and establishing the nation's first industrial policy in decades. She took charge of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, breaking down barriers for workers forming unions. As president of the U.S. Senate, she cast critical tie-breaking votes, including advancing the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which saved the pensions of 120,000 active and retired USW members.
Despite losing the 2024 presidential election, Harris remains popular among Democrats and has even been tipped to run again in 2028. Her success has been attributed to her embrace of Howard University's core principles of truth and service, which she reinforced in a speech to Howard graduates in 2017: "Speaking the truth means you must speak up, and you must speak out, even when you are not asked... even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient."
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Took on big corporations
As a US Senator, Kamala Harris championed working people and supported vital legislation, including the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. She has taken on big corporations that have taken advantage of working people and won settlements from companies that underpaid workers and violated labour laws. Harris has also introduced a student loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals.
Harris has served as a crucial part of the most pro-labour administration in decades, which breathed new life into domestic manufacturing and established the nation's first industrial policy in decades. She has been a strong friend to unions, attending meetings and forums to hear from members and speaking at the 2022 International Convention.
As a young prosecutor in Alameda County, California, Harris took on tough cases in Berkeley and Oakland at the height of the crack epidemic. She also dealt with child sexual assault. Harris defeated an incumbent to become the district attorney in San Francisco, the first Black person to do so in California. She focused on aggressively prosecuting criminals but also creating paths to rehabilitation. She helped non-violent criminals get job training and worked to keep young offenders in school.
Harris took on for-profit colleges that scammed Americans. She also took charge of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, breaking down barriers for workers forming unions.
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Supported climate change action
Kamala Harris has a history of supporting climate change action. As a US Senator, she championed working people and supported vital legislation, including the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. She also took on big corporations that took advantage of working people and won settlements from companies that underpaid workers and violated labour laws.
As vice president, Harris served as a crucial part of the most pro-labour administration in recent memory, which breathed new life into domestic manufacturing and established the nation's first industrial policy in decades. She took charge of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, breaking down barriers for workers forming unions.
Harris has also been vocal in her criticism of Palestinian suffering in Gaza, balancing her rhetoric with continued support for Israel. Her views on global affairs has been shaped by her long experience as a prosecutor, her role as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and her tenure as vice president.
While Harris is expected to stay with Biden's decision on maintaining a ban on new oil and gas drilling, she is likely to prioritize electric vehicles and focus on environmental justice, using a single lens to view gender, race, and climate.
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Vocal on foreign policy
Kamala Harris has been vocal about her foreign policy views and has distinguished them from President Joe Biden's. She has been critical of Palestinian suffering in Gaza while maintaining support for Israel. Her experience as a prosecutor, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Vice President has influenced her perspective on global affairs. Harris' foreign policy approach will likely reflect the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party, but the specific impact on policies is challenging to predict.
Harris has also been criticised for her handling of immigration from Central American countries during her tenure as Vice President. She has supported strong labour policies and has been an advocate for working people, which could influence her foreign policy decisions. As a senator, she voted to advance the American Rescue Plan of 2021, protecting the pensions of thousands of active and retired workers.
Harris's foreign policy views are expected to differ from those of Biden, with a focus on environmental justice, prioritising electric vehicles, and addressing climate change, which could have international repercussions. Her defence of Representative Pramila Jayapal's stand on Kashmir and her statements on India's human rights record have been noted, indicating a potential shift in India-US relations.
Harris's foreign policy decisions will be shaped by her commitment to truth and service, as she emphasised during her time at Howard University. She has stated the importance of speaking up and speaking out, even when it is uncomfortable, which may influence her approach to international relations and global issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris became the highest-ranking woman in US public service when she was elected Vice President of the United States. She has been a crucial part of a pro-labour administration, which has boosted domestic manufacturing and established the first industrial policy in decades. Harris has also been an advocate for unions, and she has taken on big corporations that took advantage of working people.
Harris has been vocal about Palestinian suffering in Gaza, while also continuing to support Israel. Her foreign policy views have been shaped by her experience as a prosecutor and her role as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She has also defended Representative Pramila Jayapal's stand on Kashmir.
Harris has broken barriers and shattered glass ceilings as the first Black and South Asian woman to become Vice President. She was also the first Black and Asian woman to become a US Senator from California, and the first Black district attorney of San Francisco. Harris ran for president in 2020 and 2024, and in 2025, she was the top choice for Democrats in a poll asking who they would back in the 2028 primary.
Harris has supported vital legislation, including the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. She has also introduced a student loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals and plans to remove medical debt from credit reports.
