Within a week of Biden’s exit from the race and Kamala Harris’ subsequent announcement that she was going to run for President, the Democratic party went from hopelessness to cautious optimism. Harris’ quick entrance into the race raises questions about who she really is and what she stands for. According to PEW Research Center, a poll showed that 60% and 70% of voters believe that her racial identity and gender will play a factor in the race, respectively.
Even so, the focus of the election should not be about the candidate’s identity, but on their policies. To help identify what kind of a candidate Harris is, here’s an overview of some of her plans.
Harris claims her economic policies target the middle class. According to her campaign website, she plans to give over 100 million Americans a tax cut by restoring two policies: the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. According to Forbes, the Child Tax Credit provides a $6000 tax credit to families with newborns for the first year of their life, and the Earned Income Tax Credit allows for Americans to keep more of their income.
To offset the costs of her tax cuts, Harris plans to increase the corporate income tax from 21% to 28%. However, these tax raises on corporations may cause harm to the overall economy. According to Forbes, a corporate tax increase means that private sectors have less money to invest, halting innovation. Additionally, companies may relocate to other countries to evade tax, which results in less job opportunities.
Despite these potential harms, Harris’ policies have a much lesser impact on the federal deficit than Trump’s. Essentially, a federal deficit occurs when the amount of money that the government spends is more than what it makes in revenue. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), their central estimate on the effects on the federal deficit for Harris’ campaign plans is around $3.5 trillion, while Trump’s central esti- mate is around $7.5 trillion, from 2026 to 2035.
While Harris’ policies may ultimately harm higher-income Americans, compared to Trump, it is clear that Harris cares more for the majority of Americans and the middle class. It is refreshing for typical Americans to benefit from economic policies that Trump’s campaign does not offer.
Abortion is a paramount issue in the current election and a focal point of Harris’ campaign. Unquestionably, Harris stands for reproductive rights. According to her campaign website, as President, Harris will never allow a national abortion ban to become law. Whether voters support abortion or not, one thing is clear: Harris knows what she stands for and is not afraid to voice it.
In the past, Harris has always been outspoken about her view of climate change as a crucial issue. about her views on climate change and how it is crucial to address it. As Vice President, she has enabled investment into greenhouse gas emission reductions and aimed to cut greenhouse gas emission.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) explains that the Biden-Harris administration provided Ukraine with about $175 billion total in financial, humanitarian, and military aid. According to the Washington Post, Harris has said that she will continue to support and stand by Ukraine, but has not specified what assistance to Ukraine should be like. In spite of her vagueness, it is clear that she is on Ukraine’s side. On the contrary, Harris has expressed support for both Israel and Palestine. She has claimed that Israel has a right to defend itself and that she will continue to enable them to defend themselves. According to the CFR, the Biden-Harris administration has sent $12 bil- lion in military aid to Israel and Harris says she will continue to send aid.
However, she also has said that Palestinans have a right to “security, self-determination, and dignity” in her first presidential debate with Donald Trump. Ultimately, Harris supports an immediate ceasefire along with a hostage release and a two-state solution accord- ing to the CFR.
Her lack of firmness on the issue is disturbing. Hypocritically, she claims to support Palestine, but at the same time she is allowing aid to be sent to Israel.
Although Harris has a few stances that are vague and questionable, she is also a hope in the Democratic party for a future and better America.