Simone Lawson
Kamala Harris, the former Vice President of the United States, has had a notable political career, from serving as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California to becoming the first female and first black Vice President of the United States. Harris' policies have focused on a range of issues, from healthcare and the economy to foreign policy and immigration. In this paragraph, we will explore the key policies and stances that have defined Harris' political career and her impact on American politics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Domestic issues | Supported expanding publicly-funded healthcare programmes for the elderly, youth with disabilities, and the poor. Backed Medicare-for-All, but later softened her stance. |
| Foreign policy | Supported NATO and denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pledged to reject isolationism and ensure "America, not China, wins the 21st Century." |
| Tax policy | Desires to raise the top corporate tax rate to 28% and raise the income tax rate to pre-2018 levels for individuals earning more than $400,000. |
| Minimum wage | Plans to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hour. |
| Student debt relief | Wants to expand student debt relief. |
| Antitrust initiatives | Aims to expand and enforce antitrust initiatives. |
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What You'll Learn
Foreign policy
Kamala Harris's foreign policy views are largely aligned with those of President Joe Biden, but she has pledged to reject isolationism and has a more progressive inclination in some areas. Harris has gained foreign policy experience through her role as vice president, travelling to over 20 countries and meeting over 150 world leaders. She has attended important international security summits such as the Munich Security Conference in 2024, where she spoke in support of NATO and denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She has also stepped in for Biden at the East Asia and US-ASEAN summits in 2023, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2022, and the first international AI governance summit in London in 2023.
Harris has devoted time to America's relationships in South-East Asia, making a visible show of support for the Philippines amid tensions with China in the South China Sea. She has also stressed the US commitment to upholding Taiwan's self-defence and has been described as having an "empathetic" approach to Israel's war in Gaza, calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire and criticising the civilian death toll. As a senator, Harris voted against reauthorizing parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as it did not require warrants for the government to access US data.
Harris has said that US policy on AI should stimulate innovation and protect against harm, and she oversaw the publication of a new National Cybersecurity Strategy in 2023. She chairs the White House's National Space Council and has announced the US commitment to halt anti-satellite weapons tests. As vice president, Harris has supported major economic legislation, including investments in infrastructure and green energy, and has promised to tackle the cost of living.
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Healthcare
Kamala Harris has a long track record of supporting government-run healthcare. As a senator, Harris co-sponsored Bernie Sanders's "Medicare for All" bill in 2017 and 2019. While running for president, she proposed a "Medicare for All" plan that would have effectively regulated private insurers out of existence over ten years. Harris has also been an outspoken defender of reproductive rights, highlighting the harmful impacts of the Dobbs ruling and advocating for protecting abortion access, including for travel, privacy, emergency care, and bodily autonomy.
During her time as vice president, Harris has worked with President Biden to pass major economic legislation, including investments in infrastructure and green energy. She has also focused on tackling the cost of living, promising mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers and a tax credit for parents of newborns. In terms of healthcare, Harris has proposed capping out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year and insulin copays at $35 per month, extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium support, and expanding eligibility for ACA Marketplace subsidies.
The Biden-Harris administration has also scored a historic win by giving Medicare the power to directly negotiate the prices of prescription drugs, which is expected to save patients and Medicare $7.5 billion altogether. Harris's campaign has said that she would invest any additional savings in new policy proposals, such as expanding Medicare coverage for home health care. However, a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that additional funds from such an effort would be minimal.
Harris has also reframed health as a pocketbook economic issue, focusing on people's out-of-pocket costs and their worries about the affordability of healthcare. This aligns with voters' concerns about healthcare costs and sets Harris's proposals apart from traditional stand-alone health care plans. While Harris has not proposed a sweeping reform of the health system, her moderate proposals build on the work of the Biden-Harris administration and address the public's economic concerns.
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Tax policy
Kamala Harris's tax policies are largely aligned with President Joe Biden's agenda, with a focus on raising taxes for high earners and businesses. Harris intends to extend the temporary provisions in the 2017 tax law for those earning below $400,000 while limiting benefits for those above this threshold. This approach aims to reduce taxes for all income groups except the richest 1%, who would face an average tax increase of 4.1% of their income. Harris's proposals are designed to provide targeted relief to those who need it the most, such as the poorest fifth of Americans, who could expect tax cuts of around 6.5% to 7% of their income.
Harris's tax plan also includes expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), benefiting families and lower-income workers. Additionally, she proposes raising the deduction for startup business expenses from $5,000 to $50,000 and simplifying the tax filing process for small businesses. Harris also intends to introduce an "America Forward tax credit" for investments in strategic industries, although details on this credit are yet to be released.
The Vice President's tax policies are expected to increase taxes by about $4.1 trillion from 2025 to 2034. However, there are concerns that these policies could slow economic growth, reduce competitiveness, and fail to address affordability challenges in sectors like housing. Harris's stance on the upcoming expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) remains unclear, creating uncertainty about her fiscal policy approach.
In terms of corporate taxes, Harris intends to reform the tax code by scaling back recently enacted breaks and long-standing loopholes that contribute to income inequality and racial inequality. She also supports Biden's proposal to require taxpayers with net wealth above $100 million to pay a minimum tax on their unrealized capital gains. These policies are expected to increase the top tax rates on corporate and individual income, potentially impacting US competitiveness.
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Minimum wage
Kamala Harris has been vocal about her support for raising the minimum wage, stating that the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour amounts to "poverty wages". She has proposed raising the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour, a threshold popularized by the Fight for $15 movement. However, she has not specified the exact amount by which she would increase it. This proposal is in line with the efforts of many states and municipalities that have been raising their minimum wages in recent years, with 30 states already having minimum wages higher than the federal minimum.
Harris's plan also includes eliminating the tax on tips for service and hospitality workers, a policy that has been proposed by both Democrats and Republicans. She has clarified that this policy would include guardrails to prevent high-income earners from taking advantage of the system, such as by including an income limit and other requirements. This is in contrast to former President Trump's proposal, which did not include similar measures to prevent tax avoidance by upper-income earners.
Advocates for increasing the minimum wage have urged Harris to make this issue a more central part of her campaign, believing that it could help to get out the vote among low-income workers. While Harris has not made it a key campaign issue, she has stated that she will work with Congress to draft legislation that addresses these concerns.
The potential impact of raising the minimum wage is a topic of debate. Some argue that it will cost workers their jobs and increase the federal budget deficit, while others maintain that it is necessary to provide a living wage for low-income workers. Harris's proposal to raise the minimum wage and eliminate the tax on tips is part of a broader set of policies aimed at properly rewarding Americans' work and offering relief to low-income and middle-class families.
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Student debt relief
Harris has continued to tout her record of helping borrowers. In 2023, following the approval of an additional $39 billion in debt relief for 804,000 borrowers on income-driven repayment plans, she reiterated her commitment to reducing student loan debt. Harris has also stated that student debt relief is crucial for economic growth and social equity, emphasizing its potential to reduce the racial wealth gap and provide opportunities for millions of Americans burdened by educational debt. As of Vice President Harris's statement in October 2024, the Biden-Harris administration had forgiven over $170 billion in student debt for nearly five million people, including one million teachers, nurses, first responders, social workers, and other public service workers.
Harris has backed several key student-loan forgiveness efforts during her career. When she served as California's attorney general in 2013, Harris led an investigation into Corinthian College campuses in the state, a now-defunct for-profit chain. She accused the schools of misrepresenting the value of their programs and loading students with unaffordable debt. During the 2020 Democratic primary, Harris released a plan to reduce student loan debt. Under the plan, Pell Grant recipients with student loans who started a business that operated for three years in disadvantaged communities would have up to $20,000 of their debt forgiven. However, her plan was criticized for being too complicated.
While Harris has yet to share formal plans surrounding student loan debt as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, her prior efforts and public statements suggest that she supports student loan forgiveness in some form. Voters can expect a Harris administration to continue Biden’s current policies, if not expand them. Harris has stated that she is committed to building an economy that works for every American, and that includes lowering the costs of higher education and making it more affordable.
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Frequently asked questions
Kamala Harris has supported expanding publicly-funded healthcare programmes that cover the elderly, youth with disabilities, and the poor. This included backing Medicare-for-All, a progressive policy that would make all healthcare publicly funded. She later softened her support for this. During her vice-presidency, the White House reduced prescription drug costs, capped insulin prices, allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and capped out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare drug coverage.
Kamala Harris has been focused on tackling the cost of living. She has met with 150 world leaders and visited 21 countries. She has spoken in support of NATO and denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine, vowing to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes". Harris has also pledged to reject isolationism and ensure that "America—not China—wins the competition for the 21st Century".
Kamala Harris has indicated her desire to raise the top corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%. She also plans to raise the income tax rate to pre-2018 levels for individuals earning more than $400,000. Harris plans to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hour from $7.25, expand student debt relief, and expand antitrust initiatives and enforcement.
