What we know – and what we don’t – about Harris’ political agenda

By the time presidential candidates take the stage at the national party conventions, they have typically already spent months developing their policy priorities.

But Vice President Harris did not begin her race until July 21, when President Biden stepped aside and handed her the torch.

While the Democrats were enthusiastic about the fresh energy Harris into the race, her campaign speeches so far have been long and short on actual platforms. Many of her positions are based on Proposals originally made by Biden that he and the Democrats had failed to get Congress through.

As the Democratic National Convention begins this week, here are some key statements from her about what she would do if she won the election in November.

The economy

Harris gave her first major political speech about what she would do to reduce the high costs of housing, food, health care and raising children. Her suggestions include:

• Tax breaks for home builders with the goal of building 3 million new housing units in four years
• Up to $25,000 in down payment for first-time home buyers
• Up to $6,000 for low- and middle-income families with new babies
• Up to $3,600 per child per year in an extended Child allowance
• A ban on price gouging in the food sector, especially Meat prices in particular
• Working with states to prohibit medical debt from being included in credit scores

In other campaign speeches, Harris said she would:

• Prohibition hidden bank fees
• Walk through the Minimum wage
• Prohibition Taxes on tips for service and hospitality employees
• Support affordable child care and paid family leave

So far there are only a few details about:

• The total cost of these new measures
• Whether Harris would raise taxes or cut other spending to finance these costs
• Who is eligible for the various incentives?

The Harris campaign told Politico that she would not raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000 a year.

Reproductive rights

After the Supreme Court’s annulment Roe v. Wade In 2022, Harris became the leading voice to restore protection of abortion rights. She has called on Congress to pass legislation to roe protections and said she would enforce them.

Healthcare

Harris supported the Biden administration’s efforts Negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs for seniors with Medicare. She has said she would accelerate those talks with pharmaceutical companies. Like Biden, Harris has promised to try:

• Limit the price of insulin to $35 for everyone, not just seniors
• Limiting co-payments for prescription drugs to $2,000 per year for all

immigration

Harris has said she supports comprehensive immigration reform with “an earned path to citizenship,” but has not commented on the specifics.

Her Campaign Ads say Harris would hire thousands of border agents, deploy technology to combat fentanyl and increase funding to combat human trafficking.

She has announced that she will ask the Senate to revive a bipartisan border security bill that Republicans have balked at. Beginning of the year at the urging of former President Donald Trump. This bill would give her the authority to close the border to migrants under certain conditions and would introduce changes to the asylum process.

More domestic politics

• Harris has promised to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, both of which have stalled in Congress.
• She said she would Gun violence by calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, red flag laws, and an assault weapons ban.

Foreign policy

Harris has not yet given a major foreign policy speech. But she did Detailed notes after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, during which she said she would “not remain silent” about the casualties of Israel’s war against Hamas among Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, but made clear that she supported Israel’s right to self-defense.

Copyright: NPR