Kamala's Platform: Her Vision And Plans For America

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Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21, 2024. Her platform included support for national abortion protections, LGBT+ rights, stricter gun control, and legislation to address climate change. She also supported federal cannabis legalisation, strengthening voting rights, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, and federal funding for affordable housing. Harris's economic agenda was described as populist and included a focus on tackling the cost of living.

Characteristics Values
Economic policy Strengthen small businesses, cut taxes on the middle class, build affordable housing, create stability for economic growth, support and strengthen the middle class, lower prescription drug costs, pass a middle-class tax cut, provide mortgage assistance for first-time homebuyers, and ban price gouging at the grocery store
Foreign policy Move the country towards a "clean energy economy" while maintaining oil and gas industries, ban fracking, create clean energy jobs, increase protections against drilling and mining in the Arctic
Social policy Support abortion rights and reproductive healthcare, treat "habitual and chronic truancy" among children in elementary school as a crime committed by parents, support busing to desegregate public schools, create a government funding program to pay tuition and fees for students from low-income families
Gun control Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require universal background checks, support mandatory buyback on assault weapons

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Kamala Harris's stance on immigration

Kamala Harris, the former Vice President of the United States, has outlined some of her stances on immigration. During her 2024 presidential campaign, Harris did not announce many policies, but she has expressed her support for comprehensive immigration reform and has promised to tackle the root causes of migration.

Harris has criticised the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policies, including the separation of families at the border and the deterrence-based approach to immigration. She has also accused Trump of scuttling a bipartisan border security deal that included provisions for tougher asylum standards and increased border personnel. As vice president, Harris worked to secure private sector investments to address the root causes of migration, such as economic insecurity, corruption, and violence in Central America.

Harris has endorsed the creation of a pathway to citizenship for longtime undocumented residents and has committed to safeguarding immigrants from deportation. She has also expressed support for stronger border security and tougher asylum restrictions, crediting these measures for the decrease in border crossings since December 2023. However, she has not issued a detailed immigration policy platform, and her stance on some specific issues remains unclear.

As a senator, Harris supported progressive tax programmes and co-sponsored a bill with Bernie Sanders to expand social security for the elderly. During her 2019 presidential campaign, she supported a higher corporate tax rate than President Biden's proposal and promised to pass a middle-class tax cut. As vice president, she worked with President Biden to pass major economic legislation, including investments in infrastructure and green energy.

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Harris's views on gun control

Kamala Harris's views on gun control have been a topic of discussion during her time as Vice President and as a presidential candidate. Harris has stated that she supports the Second Amendment and is a gun owner herself, but also advocates for stronger gun control measures.

Harris has been a vocal supporter of banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, implementing universal background checks, and expanding red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. She has also pushed for closing loopholes that allow people convicted of domestic violence to obtain firearms and revoking licenses from gun manufacturers and dealers who break the law. As a senator, Harris co-sponsored legislation to help protect survivors of domestic violence and gun violence and to regulate dangerous firearms and accessories, including ghost guns, 3D-printed guns, and bump stocks.

Harris's disclosure of her gun ownership during a debate with Donald Trump was a strategic move to connect with gun owners while reinforcing her stance on gun safety. She has tried to bridge the gap between her advocacy for stricter gun safety regulations and the concerns of gun owners. Harris has faced criticism from Republicans who argue that her support for universal background checks and assault weapons bans infringes on Second Amendment rights.

Harris has also been criticised by some gun control advocates who claim that she has not done enough to push for stricter gun control measures. During the 2024 election campaign, Harris stated that she would not make any changes to the current gun control agenda, indicating that she is satisfied with the current administration's approach. This has led to concerns that Harris is not committed to taking meaningful action on gun control.

Overall, Harris's views on gun control reflect a desire to balance the rights of gun owners with the need for stronger regulations to protect public safety. She has supported a range of measures aimed at reducing gun violence and keeping weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals. However, her stance on gun control has also evolved over time, and she has faced criticism from both sides of the debate.

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Harris's economic policies

Kamala Harris's economic policies focus on providing relief to the middle class amid concerns of inflation and rising living costs. Her strategy includes banning price gouging, promoting affordable housing, cutting taxes, and reducing healthcare costs. Harris intends to raise taxes on corporations and high earners, while providing tax credits and incentives for low- and middle-income households. She also plans to cut taxes for new parents, expand the Child Tax Credit, and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers.

To address housing affordability, Harris proposes increasing the housing supply by cutting red tape and offering assistance to builders, and implementing the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit. She also suggests providing down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and tackling algorithmic price fixing by landlords and investors who buy homes in bulk. Additionally, Harris wants to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to incentivize the construction of rental housing for low-income families.

Harris's economic agenda also includes reducing the cost of childcare and eldercare by expanding access to paid leave and potentially covering in-home care services through Medicare. She aims to lower prescription drug costs and create a broad-based supply chain to prevent disruptions and reduce the cost of goods for families. To support small businesses, Harris plans to increase the tax deduction for startup costs and offer more low- and no-interest loans, allocating one-third of federal contracts to small businesses.

Harris's tax policies are expected to increase revenue by about $4.1 trillion from 2025 to 2034. However, critics argue that these policies may slow economic growth, reduce competitiveness, and fail to improve affordability challenges in housing and other sectors. The dynamic effects of her proposals could lead to a $2 trillion increase in primary deficits over ten years, with potential negative impacts on capital investment, wages, and employment.

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Harris's views on LGBTQ+ rights

Kamala Harris has a strong record on improving protections for LGBTQ+ people, and her administration is expected to continue this work. Since her time in the Senate, Harris has consistently supported the Equality Act, which would provide LGBTQ+ people with explicit and comprehensive protection against discrimination. She has also urged Congress to pass this legislation.

Harris has also been vocal about anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, expressing her sympathy and support to the LGBTQ+ community following the death of non-binary student Nex Benedict in 2024. She has also advocated for accurate accounts of LGBTQ+ topics to be included in the teaching of United States history. During her 2023 "Fight for Our Freedoms" college tour, Harris drew attention to the prevalence of book bans targeting LGBTQ+ authors or subjects.

The Biden-Harris administration has sued states to block anti-trans laws and policies, including asking the Supreme Court to lift bans on medically necessary healthcare for transgender adolescents. They have also ordered federal agencies to protect LGBTQ+ people against discrimination by ensuring that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is applied in the contexts of employment, housing, healthcare, and credit lending. Additionally, the administration has expanded access to gender-affirming healthcare and accurate gender markers on federal government identification documents.

Looking ahead, a Harris administration is expected to continue to safeguard the rights of LGBTQ+ people. This includes working with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to use litigation to protect transgender people from discriminatory state laws. Harris has also committed to remaining vigilant against efforts to include anti-LGBTQ+ measures in must-pass legislation, such as bills funding the federal government.

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Harris's stance on climate change

Kamala Harris has been vocal about her views on climate change, calling it an "existential threat" and stating that the United States needs to act urgently to address it. As a senator and vice president, Harris has supported and helped pass significant legislation and initiatives aimed at tackling climate change and promoting clean energy.

During her time as a senator, Harris co-sponsored a bill with Bernie Sanders to expand social security for the elderly by increasing the tax rate on investments. She also supported a corporate tax rate increase to 35% in 2019, a more aggressive proposal than President Biden's plan to raise it to 28%. As vice president, Harris worked with President Biden to pass major economic legislation, often referred to as "Bidenomics," which included substantial investments in infrastructure and green energy.

In 2022, Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided billions of dollars in government subsidies for electric cars and other clean energy technologies. The Act also granted Medicare the authority to negotiate lower drug prices, addressing the high cost of prescription medications. Additionally, Harris has supported a national zero-emissions vehicle standard and announced federal grants for smaller companies manufacturing electric vehicle parts.

Harris has also been an advocate for environmental protection and holding polluters accountable. As California's attorney general, she prosecuted oil companies for environmental violations and defended the state's climate laws. During her 2020 presidential campaign, she called for climate change policies through a "Green New Deal," some of which were implemented under the current administration. While she initially supported banning fracking, she later changed her stance, citing the creation of clean energy jobs during the Biden administration.

Harris's economic plan, released in 2024, focuses on building a safer climate future and investing in clean energy manufacturing. The plan aims to lower energy costs by helping Americans transition from costly fossil fuels to more affordable and long-lasting clean energy options. It also addresses the housing crisis, recognizing that a lack of affordable housing leaves families vulnerable to climate disasters and dependent on fossil fuel-powered transportation.

In summary, Harris's stance on climate change is one of urgency and proactive policy implementation. She has supported and helped pass legislation that addresses climate change, promotes clean energy, and reduces pollution. Her economic plans also consider the intersection of climate and economic issues, aiming for a safer and more prosperous future for the middle class.

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.

Kamala 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.

Kamala 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.

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