Abortion, Israel, crime: Where does Kamala Harris stand on key points? | EUROtoday

Vice President Kamala Harris has run a presidential marketing campaign on insurance policies supposed to enchantment to a broad scope of Americans, particularly these in search of a substitute for Donald Trump.

Though Harris has spent the final 4 years within the White House, her position as VP has largely centered round supporting the Biden administration’s initiatives. Having solely entered the race in July after President Joe Biden was pushed out, Harris has solely had a couple of months to make her personal agenda clear.

Once identified for progressive liberal insurance policies, Harris has adopted extra reasonable concepts in an effort to enchantment to a broader group of Americans. That features a more durable place on immigration and championing the Second Amendment whereas nonetheless advocating for gun management laws.

Here’s the place she stands on the problems.

Abortion

Harris is a powerful advocate for all reproductive rights and has been all through her profession. A pillar of her presidential marketing campaign is promising to revive the federal proper to abortion and veto any laws that may enact a nationwide ban.

As a senator in 2019, Harris pitched a plan to require states to clear any reproductive well being legal guidelines with the Department of Justice to make sure that they don’t violate federal abortion rights.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 she grew to become a vocal opponent of the choice and launched into a “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour across the nation, changing into the unofficial Biden administration ambassador to the problem.

She’s known as state abortion bans a “health care crisis” and highlighted their adverse affect on maternal mortality charges all through her marketing campaign.

Harris stated she wouldn’t make concessions on the problem if Congress handed federal laws, even for non secular exemptions.

The Economy

Harris launched a complete financial plan in September that largely advantages the center class.

Her tax plan goals to assist small companies and people who earn lower than $400,000. Measures embrace increasing tax deductions for small companies, restoring the earned earnings tax credit score, promising to not elevate taxes for these making lower than $400k and implementing a $6,000 youngster tax credit score. She has additionally proposed offering $25,000 in help for certified first-time homebuyer.

Much like Biden, Harris needs to boost taxes on firms and rich people and improve the company tax charge from 21 p.c to twenty-eight p.c. However, she deviates from Biden in the case of the capital positive factors tax charge saying she helps a charge of 28 p.c in comparison with Biden’s 44.6 p.c.

Harris helps Biden’s pupil mortgage forgiveness plan.

Immigration

Once a champion for immigrants’ rights and a powerful opponent of most of Trump’s U.S. – Mexico insurance policies, Harris has not too long ago taken a more durable stance on border safety.

As anti-immigration rhetoric and insurance policies develop into extra well-liked with voters, Harris has pivoted to help the bipartisan border invoice Congress was unable to cross earlier this 12 months because of Trump’s interference.

Her immigration insurance policies have been scrutinized by Republicans who’ve blamed Harris for the inflow of migrants and border crossings. Trump nicknamed her the “border czar” regardless of Harris by no means holding an government place that may give her the power to manage the border.

She was tasked with analyzing the basis causes of migration from Central America in 2021 and visited the border earlier than the tip of Title 42 – the emergency Covid-era coverage that allowed the US to show away migrants. At the time, she advocated for “thoughtful and effective” insurance policies to be enacted

Foreign Policy

Harris’s place on international coverage has not deviated removed from Biden’s. She’s stated she is “committed to pursuing global engagement” and defending democratic values at house and overseas.

In October, she declared Iran the “greatest adversary” to the United States asserting Iranians ought to by no means get hold of nuclear energy.

She helps US involvement in NATO and stated in 2019 that she would re-enter the Paris Agreement if she have been to be elected. She is supportive of Ukraine and vowed to again them of their battle in opposition to Russia.

Israel and Gaza

In the wake of the October 7 assault, Harris voiced robust help for Israel and maintained that hostages ought to be introduced house, however in latest months has indicated she might be more durable on Israel than her predecessor.

In December, the vice chairman stated she and Biden had been “clear” with the Israeli authorities that, “it matters how” Israel defends itself, whereas in March, she pushed for a ceasefire.

Harris declined to preside over the Senate chamber when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint Congressional assembly in July.

In the previous, she voiced help for a two-state answer.

Crime

As a former prosecutor and lawyer normal of California, Harris has pitched herself as a “progressive prosecutor” who applied prison justice reforms forward of her time.

She opposed the dying penalty, applied racial bias coaching for elements of legislation enforcement and launched a re-entry program to assist low-level offenders, amongst different incentives whereas lawyer normal.

When Harris ran for president in 2019, her platform emphasised the combat for racial justice. She stated she would broaden investigations into police misconduct, set up a nationwide police misconduct registry, set a nationwide normal to be used of pressure and require states to report use of pressure incidents.

Critics have been skeptical of Harris’s guarantees since her document exhibits some contradictions.

She fought to maintain prisoners in jail, even after it was decided California prisons have been overcrowded. Critics are additionally fast to level out that she prosecuted marijuana crimes at the next charge than her predecessor.

Harris, a firearm proprietor, believes in sustaining Second Amendment rights whereas enacting gun security laws. She’s advocated for a ban on assault weapons, common background checks and red-flag legal guidelines.

Healthcare

The Biden administration has taken steps to decrease the price of generally used prescribed drugs for seniors – one thing that may save the federal government an estimated $98 billion.

Using the cash saved, Harris has proposed increasing Medicare protection to supply help for house well being companies – one thing that may fight the nation’s rising long-term care disaster for older adults.

The proposed plan would broaden Medicare advantages to cowl imaginative and prescient and listening to.

Harris additionally helps the Affordable Care Act – referred to as Obamacare, entry to in vitro fertilization remedies and increasing Medicaid protection to postpartum moms.