Eleanor Finch
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024. In her campaign, Harris supported national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of affordable housing. Harris's economic agenda differed from Biden's, proposing a populist approach. Harris aimed to lower prescription drug costs and supported tax breaks for small businesses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Abortion | Pro-choice |
| LGBT+ rights | Support |
| Gun control | Ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; universal background checks; mandatory buyback on assault weapons |
| Climate change | Support for "Green New Deal" policies; ban on fracking; support for climate laws and lawsuits against oil companies for environmental damage |
| Immigration | Belief that the immigration system is "broken" and needs fixing; stricter asylum rules; increase in number of border patrol agents |
| Cannabis | Support for federal legalization |
| Voting rights | Support for strengthening |
| Affordable Care Act | Support for strengthening |
| Housing | Support for federal funding |
| Tax | Support for progressive tax programmes; corporate tax rate of 35%; middle-class tax cut |
| Education | Support for government funding for students from low-income backgrounds; support for busing to desegregate public schools |
| Economy | Populist agenda with a focus on tackling the cost of living and supporting the middle class |
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What You'll Learn
Gun control and assault weapons ban
Kamala Harris's platform on gun control and assault weapons ban is a key part of her policy agenda. Harris, a gun owner herself, has been a strong advocate for stricter gun control measures. She has proposed a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as mandatory buyback programs for assault weapons. During her 2024 presidential campaign, she emphasised the need for universal background checks for gun ownership.
Harris's stance on gun control is informed by her experience as a prosecutor, where she defended California's strict climate laws and took legal action against oil companies for environmental damage. In 2019, she publicly expressed support for a ban on AR-15-style assault weapons, noting that these weapons are designed to kill a large number of people and have no place in civil society.
Harris's position on gun control aligns with her broader commitment to public safety and criminal justice reform. She has proposed initiatives to address the root causes of crime, such as treating habitual truancy among children as a crime committed by parents, which she argues is linked to future criminal behaviour. Additionally, Harris has supported busing to desegregate public schools and the creation of government funding programs to improve access to higher education for low-income students.
As a senator, Harris co-sponsored progressive tax programs and supported a corporate tax rate increase to 35%. She has also prioritised supporting and strengthening the middle class, promising to pass a middle-class tax cut benefiting over 100 million Americans.
Kamala Harris's stance on gun control and assault weapons ban demonstrates her commitment to public safety and her pragmatic approach to policy-making, reflecting her background in law and prosecution.
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Climate change policies and banning fracking
Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, has outlined her plan to address climate change and fracking as part of her 2024 presidential campaign. Harris has described climate change as an "existential threat", calling for urgent action from the United States.
During her 2019 presidential campaign, Harris released a $10 trillion climate plan that focused on investing in renewable energy, holding polluters accountable, assisting communities impacted by climate change, and protecting natural resources. As California's attorney general, she targeted oil companies for environmental violations. However, in 2024, Harris reversed her previous stance on fracking, stating that she now supports the practice. This shift is attributed to the changing political landscape of energy and climate since 2020, influenced by the COVID pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which impacted oil supply and demand.
Harris has celebrated the "largest increase in domestic oil production" during the Biden administration and advocated for advancing clean energy technologies while fostering domestic fossil fuel production. She has also touted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which she supported as a senator, claiming that it has driven investment in the American auto industry and created manufacturing jobs. The IRA aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below their 2005 levels by 2030, with Harris casting the deciding vote as vice president.
Despite her previous support for a fracking ban, Harris has clarified that she "will not ban fracking" if elected president. This is partly due to the significant role of oil in the economy, especially in swing states like Pennsylvania, where fracking has advanced drilling in the Marcellus Shale region. Harris emphasizes the need for diverse sources of energy to reduce reliance on foreign oil. However, critics argue that her departure from her previous position on fracking indicates a shift in her energy and climate policies.
In her recent economic plan, Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, emphasize the importance of continuing and deepening climate progress. The plan focuses on modernizing American industry, tackling the housing crisis, and supporting lower energy costs by helping Americans transition from costly fossil fuels to cheaper and cleaner energy options. This aligns with her overall platform, which includes supporting national abortion protections, LGBTQ+ rights, stricter gun control, and federal cannabis legalization.
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LGBTQ+ rights and same-sex marriage
Kamala Harris has a long history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights, dating back to her time as San Francisco's district attorney between 2004 and 2011. During this period, she officiated some of the country's first same-sex weddings, despite these marriages later being nullified by the California Supreme Court. As a senator and vice president, Harris has continued to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and same-sex marriage. She has supported the Equality Act, which aims to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination nationwide, and backed the Respect for Marriage Act, passed in 2022, to ensure all states recognize same-sex marriages.
Harris has also been an outspoken critic of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S., including bans on gender-affirming care for minors and "don't say gay" laws, which prohibit discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. She has received praise from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups for her efforts to progress rights for the community. As California's attorney general in 2014, Harris played a crucial role in banning the "gay panic" or "trans panic" legal defence, which had been used to justify anti-LGBTQ+ violence or murder.
Despite her strong record on LGBTQ+ rights, Harris has faced some criticism from the community, particularly regarding her stance on trans rights. She has apologized for past missteps and taken accountability for shortcomings, but some LGBTQ+ voters remain cautious. Harris's 2024 agenda includes a commitment to LGBTQ+ equality, building on her previous actions such as officiating same-sex marriages and refusing to defend Proposition 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California. She has also expressed support for covering "all medically necessary services," including gender confirmation surgery, through Medicare for All.
Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, has a strong pro-LGBTQ+ record as well. As governor of Minnesota, he signed laws protecting trans health care and banning anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy. Harris's commitment to LGBTQ+ rights is further evidenced by her participation in the 2021 Capital Pride Walk and Rally in Washington, D.C., and her efforts to improve protections for LGBTQ+ individuals during her time in the Biden-Harris administration.
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Immigration reform and border security
Kamala Harris's stance on immigration and border security has evolved over time. As a senator in 2017, Harris supported progressive tax programs and co-sponsored a bill with Bernie Sanders to expand social security for the elderly. In 2019, as a presidential candidate, she supported a corporate tax rate of 35%. However, in the 2024 presidential race, immigration became a key and divisive issue, with Harris taking a more centrist approach.
Harris has supported a bipartisan border security bill that would increase funding for border agents, detention facilities, and asylum processing. She has also endorsed comprehensive immigration reform, seeking legal pathways to citizenship for immigrants without legal status, with a faster track for those who arrived as children. Harris has a record of tackling the root causes of migration, working with Mexican and Guatemalan leaders to improve conditions in those countries. She has secured $9 billion in aid to address issues like poverty and violence in Central America, which cause people to migrate.
Harris's stance on border security is tougher than that of Biden but softer than that of Trump. She opposes mass deportations and has criticized Trump's zero-tolerance policies that separated families. She has also expressed support for refugee resettlement and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients. Harris's supporters are less likely to see immigration as a critical issue, with only 39% saying it is very important to their vote, compared to 82% of Trump supporters.
Harris has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for her stance on immigration. Some believe she focuses too much on aggressive legal enforcement, while others claim her ideas do not go far enough. Despite this, Harris remains committed to enforcing US immigration law while creating legal pathways to citizenship, reflecting her desire to balance security with humanitarian reforms.
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Economic agenda and cost of living
Kamala Harris's economic agenda and cost of living plans are a key part of her policy platform. Harris has stated that one of her highest priorities is "to support and strengthen the middle class". In her first interview as the Democratic nominee with CNN, she reiterated this theme, which she has repeated on the campaign trail.
Harris has a history of supporting progressive tax programmes. As a senator in 2017, she co-sponsored a bill with Bernie Sanders to expand social security for the elderly by increasing the tax rate on investments. As a presidential candidate in 2019, she supported a corporate tax rate of 35%, up from 21%. This was more aggressive than President Biden's proposal to increase the rate to 28%, which she also backed. During her acceptance speech after being confirmed as the Democratic candidate, she promised to "pass a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans".
Harris has also proposed tax breaks for small businesses, and as vice-president, she worked with President Biden to pass major economic legislation, often labelled "Bidenomics". This included major investments in infrastructure and green energy, which have resulted in strong growth and job creation. However, inflation and high-interest rates continue to impact Americans' finances. To tackle this, Harris has promised mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers and a ban on price gouging at grocery stores.
Harris has also expressed support for federal funding of housing and affordable housing initiatives. During her 2024 presidential campaign, a custom multiplayer map in the video game Fortnite Creative was released to promote her campaign pledges, including affordable housing.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris's key policies during her 2024 presidential campaign included national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalization, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding of affordable housing.
Harris's economic agenda was described as "populist". She promised mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers, a tax credit for parents of newborns, and a ban on price gouging at the grocery store. She also supported tax breaks for small businesses.
Harris stated that she believed the immigration system was "broken" and needed to be fixed. She advocated for stricter asylum rules than President Biden and pledged to increase the number of border patrol agents.
