What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
Abortion rights have become a key focus for Democrats after the Supreme Court's ruling that removed federal protections for abortion. During the 2022 midterm elections, Harris dedicated a significant amount of time to reaching out to voters, vowing to prioritize and safeguard reproductive rights. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, she has effectively positioned herself as a prominent advocate for the cause, according to Philip Elliott from Time, who noted that Harris has engaged with lawmakers from at least 18 states on this topic. As Biden declared his intention to run for president in 2024, Harris delivered an impassioned speech at a reproductive freedom rally at Howard University, where she condemned "extremist so-called leaders" for enacting restrictive abortion laws.
Harris has made abortion rights a key aspect of her political identity. The backlash against Roe v. Wade energized Democratic candidates, leading to unexpectedly strong performances in the midterm elections, and many believe Harris contributed significantly to that success, Elliott added. This year, Harris has continued to prioritize abortion in her efforts. In March 2024, she visited a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota that offers abortion services. The White House stated that this marked the first occasion in U.S. history that a president or vice president has visited a facility providing abortion services. This tour was the sixth stop on her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" initiative, which she launched in January to advocate for greater access to abortion following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to NBC News.
Immigration and the Southern Border In the early months of their administration, Biden appointed Harris to lead efforts to tackle the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. However, it took her several months to make her first and only trip to the region, leading to criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Her visit to Guatemala and Mexico was largely overshadowed by an NBC News interview with Lester Holt, during which she "awkwardly downplayed the urgency" of her trip, according to The Washington Post. Since that time, Harris has faced significant criticism from Republicans as the border crisis has escalated; Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent multiple buses of asylum seekers from the border to her residence in protest.
Although she was tasked by Biden in 2021 to examine the root causes of migration from Central America, including poverty, violence, and corruption, at that time, unauthorized migration came primarily from Mexico and Central America, she was never given the role to head immigration policy, which is the responsibility of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees all agencies in charge of the enforcement of immigration laws.
This role is seen as Harris’ Achilles' heel. Her role in pushing for Biden’s immigration proposals has disenchanted Democrats and immigrant rights groups.
Despite enduring substantial backlash for her perceived lack of action, Harris continues to work on addressing the root causes of immigration issues. Her Central America Forward initiative has "secured over $4.2 billion in private sector commitments" aimed at creating local jobs and implementing other strategies to reduce mass migration, as reported by CNN last year. Some experts have praised her ability to attract these investments, calling it "her most visible action in the region to date," but they have also expressed concerns about the long-term sustainability of these investments. Harris faces a significant challenge in changing public perception regarding her efforts on border issues. In January 2023, the Border Patrol union criticized her lack of progress: "If you were given a job two years ago with the explicit goal of reducing illegal immigration, and then you sit around and do nothing while illegal immigration explodes to levels never seen before, you should be fired and replaced," the union stated on X.
Voting rights Harris played a key role in the administration's efforts to establish voting rights protections. She advocated for Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, aimed at extending the safeguards of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and requiring federal approval for certain local election law modifications. Eugene Daniels noted in Politico that the Vice President "immersed herself" in the opportunity to influence this critical issue. To advance this objective, Harris "helped build political alliances with civil rights advocates, generated external pressure on Congress, and engaged in private discussions with legislators." Unfortunately, her efforts encountered significant obstacles when Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and now-independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) opposed proposed alterations to Senate rules designed to prevent a Republican filibuster. Harris' involvement leading to the stalled legislation became "a reflection of her time as vice president: characterized by intense moments, setbacks, public spectacle, behind-the-scenes efforts, and a bit of unfortunate political timing," Daniels remarked.