Gaps and Ambiguities: ‘Black Holes’ in Harris’ Political Agenda

15th September 2024

3 minutes read

Gaps and Ambiguities: 'Black Holes' in Harris' Political Agenda

A report by the American network “NBC News” described the agenda of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as full of gaps and ambiguities.

Two days before her debate with her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, Harris published what she called “the most comprehensive agenda” of her campaign on her website. This agenda seeks to reduce prices in the markets and housing, as well as enhance the child tax credit.

However, the agenda contains gaps and ambiguities regarding several key issues, such as: the minimum wage, paid leave, and funding for childcare, raising questions about the policies she might adopt in this regard.

Harris‘ program mainly focuses on promoting the policies of President Joe Biden’s administration or criticizing Trump’s programs.

During the debate, Harris did not mention the Semiconductor Act, which is considered historic, while her aides claim she discusses issues in a concrete manner to resonate with ordinary people.

Harris‘ healthcare plans build on what the Biden administration has done by continuing to provide aid and expanding the medical care ceiling.

It calls for the continuation of the current Affordable Care Act subsidies and the extension of Medicare’s $35 monthly cap on insulin costs for all Americans.

Harris‘ agenda promises to “fight for raising the minimum wage,” but does not specify to what level. She also claims to support “paid family and medical leave,” without detailing the duration or guarantees for it.

The agenda calls for “ensuring that hardworking families can afford high-quality childcare,” without outlining how this will be achieved.

Harris‘ campaign has refused to provide details on these issues or whether the Democratic candidate supports Biden‘s ideas, such as expanding Social Security benefits and extending Medicare coverage to include dental and vision care, in response to a request from NBC.

The bulk of Harris‘ agenda will depend on Congressional approval if she wins, which will likely require Democrats to control both the House and Senate to have a strong chance of implementing it.

Harris also supports federal legal protection for a woman’s right to abortion, while Trump opposes it. Each has arguments justifying their stance, but a broad segment of Americans appears to support a woman’s right to abortion.

Harris defends the “Women’s Health Protection Act,” a bill aimed at safeguarding abortion rights in all 50 states under federal law, prohibiting medically unnecessary barriers to accessing the procedure.

Harris‘ campaign did not respond to NBC’s question about whether she would push these measures for a vote in Congress to get them passed.

Regarding immigration, Harris has repeatedly touted her record as Attorney General and insisted that she would broadly support the border security bill discussed in the Senate, which was rejected by House Republicans at Trump‘s request.

However, she has not publicly clarified whether she supports some of the bill’s provisions. For example, the bill includes $650 million in previously allocated but unspent funds for the construction of the border wall. She had previously described Trump’s border wall as a “stupid use of money.”

Some voters seem to tolerate Harris‘ shifts in positions, according to the “NBC News” report.

Sydney Smith, a student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, told the network that he understood the changes, adding, “I’m progressive, or at least I try to be… but I want to be a more realistic progressive, so I understand the shifts in her stance.”

Republicans mock Harris‘ move towards “the center,” arguing that the more progressive positions she took in 2019 reflect her true beliefs.