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## Kamala Harris' political views |
The **political positions of [Kamala Harris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris "Kamala Harris")** are reflected by her [United States Senate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate "United States Senate") voting record, public speeches, and interviews. Harris served as the junior senator from California from 2017 to 2021. On August 11, 2020, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee [Joe Biden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden "Joe Biden") [selected](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Democratic_Party_vice_presidential_candidate_selection "2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection") her as his running mate in the [2020 United States presidential election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_U.S._presidential_election "2020 U.S. presidential election"), running against incumbent U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump "Donald Trump") and Vice President [Mike Pence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence "Mike Pence"). With Biden's victory, Harris became vice president. She announced her candidacy in the [2024 United States presidential election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election "2024 United States presidential election") after Biden chose not to run for reelection on July 21, 2024. |
Harris's politics are widely seen as consistent with Biden's positions.[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-1) In 2020, _[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")_ called her a [pragmatic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik "Realpolitik") moderate, with policy positions that broadly mirror Biden's. Left-wing activists have often criticized Harris for her actions as a prosecutor, which have been called "right-wing". |
President [Joe Biden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden "Joe Biden") and former President [Barack Obama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama "Barack Obama") look on as Vice President Harris delivers remarks on the [Affordable Care Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act "Affordable Care Act"), April 2022. |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Abortion |
Harris supports [abortion rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_rights "Abortion rights") and is reportedly making reproductive health care central to her presidential campaign.[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-8) She has been called "the Biden administration's voice for reproductive rights"[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-9) and "the White House’s voice of unflinching support for reproductive health rights."[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-10) Several abortion rights and women's organizations supported her after Biden withdrew from the race, with [Reproductive Freedom for All](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_Freedom_for_All "Reproductive Freedom for All") saying "there is nobody who has fought as hard \[as Harris\] for abortion rights and access" and [Emily's List](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily%27s_List "Emily's List") calling her "our most powerful advocate and messenger" on reproductive rights. |
As of 2020, Harris had a 100% rating from the [abortion rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_rights "Abortion rights") advocacy group [Planned Parenthood Action Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood_Action_Fund "Planned Parenthood Action Fund"), and a 0% rating from the [anti-abortion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion "Anti-abortion") group [National Right to Life Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Right_to_Life_Committee "National Right to Life Committee").[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-12) She was endorsed by Emily's List in 2015, during her senatorial campaign.[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Emily-13) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Affirmative action |
Harris opposed California's [ban on affirmative action](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_California_Proposition_209 "1996 California Proposition 209")[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-14) and filed an [amicus curiae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amicus_curiae "Amicus curiae") brief in the [Supreme Court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States "Supreme Court of the United States") case [Fisher v. University of Texas (2016)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_v._University_of_Texas_/(2016/) "Fisher v. University of Texas (2016)"), asking that the Court "reaffirm its decision that public colleges and universities may consider race as one factor in admissions decisions". |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Capital punishment |
Harris opposes the [death penalty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_States "Capital punishment in the United States"), but has said that she would review each case individually.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-sfbg.com-17) Robert Dunham, executive director of the [Death Penalty Information Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Penalty_Information_Center "Death Penalty Information Center"), said she has "a mixed record".[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-18) |
As the district attorney of San Francisco, Harris opposed the death penalty, refusing to request it for a man charged with the murder of a police officer. This decision was controversial and criticized by Senator [Dianne Feinstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein "Dianne Feinstein").[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Politico-19) As California attorney general, Harris was criticized for appealing a federal court ruling that might have resulted in the abolition of the death penalty in the state[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-20)[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-21) for not supporting two ballot initiatives that would have banned the death penalty there.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Politico-19) But in July 2019, as U.S. Attorney General [William Barr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Barr "William Barr") announced the [federal government's resumption of capital punishment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_the_United_States_federal_government "Capital punishment by the United States federal government") after nearly 20 years without executing a federal inmate, [\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-22) Harris called the move "misguided", "immoral", and "a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars".[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-23) As a senator, she also co-sponsored a 2019 bill that would have banned the death penalty.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-24) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Criminal justice |
In December 2018, Harris voted for the [First Step Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Step_Act "First Step Act"), legislation aimed at reducing recidivism rates among federal prisoners by expanding job training and other programs, in addition to forming an expansion of early release programs and modifications on sentencing laws such as [mandatory minimum sentences](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_minimum_sentence "Mandatory minimum sentence") for nonviolent drug offenders, "to more equitably punish drug offenders".[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-25) |
In March 2020, Harris was one of 15 senators to sign a letter to the [Federal Bureau of Prisons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Prisons "Federal Bureau of Prisons") and private prison companies [GEO Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEO_Group "GEO Group"), [CoreCivic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoreCivic "CoreCivic"), and [Management and Training Corporation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_and_Training_Corporation "Management and Training Corporation") requesting information on their strategy to address the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_States "COVID-19 pandemic in the United States"), asserting that it was "critical that \[you\] have a plan to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus to incarcerated individuals and correctional staff, along with their families and loved ones, and provide treatment to incarcerated individuals and staff who become infected." |
In June 2020, after a campaign by a coalition of community groups, including [Black Lives Matter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter "Black Lives Matter"), Los Angeles Mayor [Eric Garcetti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Garcetti "Eric Garcetti") announced [Los Angeles Police Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Police_Department "Los Angeles Police Department") budget cuts of $150 million.[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-LAPD-27) Harris supported the decision:[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Garcetti-28)[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-29) |
> We've got to reexamine what we're doing with American taxpayer dollars and ask the question "Are we getting the right return on our investment? Are we actually creating healthy and safe communities?" That's a legitimate conversation and it requires a really critical evaluation. I applaud Eric Garcetti for doing what he's done. |
In 2020 Harris tweeted in support of donations to the [Minnesota Freedom Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Freedom_Fund "Minnesota Freedom Fund"), a [bail fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bail_fund "Bail fund") assisting those arrested in the [George Floyd protests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests "George Floyd protests"), though she did not donate to the fund herself |
President Biden and Vice President Harris delivered remarks at the Capitol on the anniversary of the [United States Capitol attack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack "2021 United States Capitol attack"), January 6, 2022. |
Harris's criminal justice record has been seen as mixed, with critics calling her "tough on crime" despite her calling herself a "progressive prosecutor", citing her reluctance to release prisoners and anti-truancy policies. In her 2009 book, Harris criticized liberals for what she called "biases against law enforcement".[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-31) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Drugs |
Harris did not initially support [legalization of recreational cannabis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legalization_of_non-medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States "Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States"), but later moved to support it.[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Herndon_2019-32) In 2010, while San Francisco District Attorney and campaigning for Attorney General of California, she opposed [Proposition 19](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_California_Proposition_19 "2010 California Proposition 19"), the first attempt to legalize recreational cannabis in California, arguing that selling drugs harms communities.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-33)[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-34) In 2015, she called for an end to the federal prohibition of [medical cannabis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_cannabis_in_the_United_States "Medical cannabis in the United States").[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-35) |
In April 2018, after reports that the Justice Department was blocking the [Drug Enforcement Administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Enforcement_Administration "Drug Enforcement Administration") from taking action on over two dozen requests to grow cannabis for use in research, Harris and Senator [Orrin Hatch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrin_Hatch "Orrin Hatch") sent a letter to Attorney General [Jeff Sessions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Sessions "Jeff Sessions") asserting the necessity of cannabis research "for evidence-based decision making" and "to resolve critical questions of public health and safety, such as learning the impacts of marijuana on developing brains and formulating methods to test marijuana impairment in drivers".[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-36) |
In May 2018, Harris co-sponsored the [Marijuana Justice Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana_Justice_Act "Marijuana Justice Act") (originally introduced by Senator [Cory Booker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Booker "Cory Booker") in August 2017), which, if passed, would have legalized cannabis at the federal level by removing it from the [Controlled Substance Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substance_Act "Controlled Substance Act").[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-37) The bill would have also required federal courts to automatically expunge earlier federal marijuana convictions related to use or possession and would have penalized states that enforce cannabis laws disproportionately against minority or low-income people.[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-38)[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-39) In February 2019, as she reintroduced the Marijuana Justice Act, Harris asserted that the U.S. had not equally applied cannabis laws and "criminalized marijuana use in a way that has led to the disproportionate incarceration of young men of color".[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-40) |
Harris leads a roundtable discussion on cannabis policy reform at the White House in March 2024. |
In July 2019, Harris and Representative [Jerry Nadler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Nadler "Jerry Nadler") introduced the [Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MORE_Act "MORE Act"), which, like the 2018 bill, would have legalized cannabis on the federal level and expunged low-level cannabis possession convictions, and would have authorized grants to members of communities of color as part of an effort to reverse decades of damage cannabis criminalization had inflicted on that community.[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-41) In a statement, Harris cited the need to regulate cannabis and ensure "everyone—especially communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the [War on Drugs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs "War on Drugs")—has a real opportunity to participate in this growing industry." |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Education |
Harris has argued for treating "habitual and chronic [truancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truancy "Truancy")" among children in elementary school as a crime committed by the parents of truant children. She argues that there is a direct connection between habitual truancy in elementary school and crime later in life. In 2010, her California attorney general campaign website said she had been endorsed by the California Federation of Teachers. |
Harris supports [busing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desegregation_busing "Desegregation busing") to desegregate public schools, saying, "the schools of America are as segregated, if not more segregated, today than when I was in elementary school."[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-47) She views busing as an option to be considered by school districts, rather than the federal government's responsibility.[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-48) |
Harris supports the creation of a government funding program to pay tuition and fees for students attending public colleges and universities for dependent students whose parents have income of $125,000 or less and independent students with incomes of $125,000 or less. The program would be funded by a 0.5% fee per stock trade on [Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street "Wall Street") firms.[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-49) Harris proposed having up to $20,000 in student debt forgiven for [Pell Grant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pell_Grant "Pell Grant") recipients who start a business and operate it for at least three years in a disadvantaged community. Eligible students would also have loans deferred interest-free for a business formation period of up to three years.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-50) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Election security |
On December 21, 2017, Harris was one of six senators to introduce the "Secure Elections Act", legislation authorizing [block grants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_grants "Block grants") for states that would update outdated voting technology. The bill would have also created a program for an independent panel of experts to develop [cybersecurity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybersecurity "Cybersecurity") guidelines for election systems that states could adopt if they choose, and offered states resources to implement the recommendations.[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-51) |
In March 2019, Harris told [Jimmy Kimmel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Kimmel "Jimmy Kimmel") that she was open to discussing abolishing the [Electoral College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College "United States Electoral College") given that there was "no question that the [popular vote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_vote_/(representative_democracy/) "Popular vote (representative democracy)") has been diminished in terms of making the final decision about who's the president of the United States and we need to deal with that."[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-52) |
In May 2019, Harris co-sponsored the Protecting American Votes and Elections (PAVE) Act, legislation that would have granted the [United States Department of Homeland Security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security "United States Department of Homeland Security") the authority "to set minimum cybersecurity standards for U.S. voting machines, authorized a one-time $500 million grant program for states to buy ballot-scanning machines to count paper ballots, and required states to conduct risk-limiting audits of all federal elections in order to detect any cyber hacks".[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-53) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Guns |
Harris has consistently supported gun control and has received an "F" rating from the pro-gun [NRA Political Victory Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRA_Political_Victory_Fund "NRA Political Victory Fund").[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-54)[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-NRARating17-55) As district attorney in San Francisco, Harris, along with other district attorneys, filed an [amicus brief](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amicus_brief "Amicus brief") in _[District of Columbia v. Heller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller "District of Columbia v. Heller")_ arguing the Washington, D.C. gun law at issue did not violate the [Second Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution "Second Amendment to the United States Constitution").[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-56) |
During her 2016 campaign for Senate, Harris was endorsed by the [Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brady_Campaign_to_Prevent_Gun_Violence "Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence").[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-PanzarWillon-57) Former U.S. Representative [Gabby Giffords](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabby_Giffords "Gabby Giffords"), founder of the Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, endorsed her in 2016 and 2024, saying at an event on July 25, 2024, that the upcoming election was a "choice between Harris, who would sign a ban on assault weapons, and more gun violence under Trump, who gun-rights groups back."[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-58) In response to the [2017 Las Vegas shooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting "2017 Las Vegas shooting"), Harris supported the call for more [gun control](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_control "Gun control"). Saying [thoughts and prayers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoughts_and_prayers "Thoughts and prayers") are an inadequate answer to the shooting, she said, "we must also commit ourselves to action. Another moment of silence won't suffice. |
In November 2017, Harris co-sponsored the Military Domestic Violence Reporting Enhancement Act, a bill that would have established a charge of Domestic Violence under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and stipulated that convictions would have to be reported within three days to federal databases with the authority to keep abusers from buying firearms in an attempt to close a loophole in the UCMJ through which convicted abusers can do so.[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-60) |
In January 2019, Harris joined [Bernie Sanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders "Bernie Sanders") and 38 other Senate Democrats in introducing the Background Check Expansion Act, a bill that would have required background checks for either the sale or transfer of all firearms, including unlicensed sellers. Exceptions to the bill's background check requirement included transfers between members of law enforcement, loaning firearms for either hunting or sporting events on a temporary basis, providing firearms as gifts to members of one's immediate family, firearms transferred as part of an inheritance, or giving a firearm to another person temporarily for immediate self-defense.[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-61) |
In May 2019, Harris was one of ten Democratic senators to sign a letter to Facebook chairman and CEO [Mark Zuckerberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg "Mark Zuckerberg") about social media users being "able to facilitate firearm transactions by directing potential buyers to other methods of communication" despite [Instagram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram "Instagram") banning gun sales on its platforms, demanding to know how Facebook governs its own ban on gun sales and holds violators of its policy accountable.[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-62) |
During a 2019 appearance on _[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tonight_Show_Starring_Jimmy_Fallon "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon")_, Harris explained her support for a mandatory buyback on [assault weapons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapons "Assault weapons"): "I do believe that we need to do buybacks, and I'll tell you why... First of all, let's be clear about what assault weapons are. They have been designed to kill a lot of human beings quickly. They are weapons of war with no place on the streets of a civil society."[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-63) CNN reported in May 2019 that "Harris' new proposal "would ban [AR-15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15 "AR-15")\-style assault weapon imports".[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-64) |
On August 14, 2019, Harris unveiled a plan to address [domestic terrorism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_terrorism "Domestic terrorism") while prioritizing increasing the difficulty for suspects to obtain or keep firearms by forming domestic terrorism prevention orders meant to empower law enforcement officers and family members with the ability to petition federal courts for a temporary restriction on a person's access to firearms if they "exhibit clear evidence of dangerousness". Harris said "loaded guns should not be a few clicks away for any domestic terrorist with a laptop or smartphone" and cited the "need to take action to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and stop violent, hate-fueled attacks before they happen".[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-65) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Immigration |
Vice President Harris looks on to President [Joe Biden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden "Joe Biden") during a meeting on [immigration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration "Immigration") in the [State Dining Room](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Dining_Room "State Dining Room") of the [White House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House "White House"), March 2021. |
As a senator, Harris was an outspoken critic of the [Trump administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Donald_Trump "Presidency of Donald Trump")'s treatment of people, especially pregnant women, trying to immigrate to the U.S. or seeking asylum in the U.S. In April 2018, she was one of five senators to send a letter to [Thomas Homan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Homan "Thomas Homan"), acting director of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Customs_Enforcement "Immigration and Customs Enforcement") (ICE), on standards the agency used to determine how to detain a pregnant woman, requesting that pregnant women not be held in custody except under extraordinary standards after reports "that ICE has failed to provide critical medical care to pregnant women in immigration detention – resulting in miscarriages and other negative health outcomes."[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-66) In July 2018, Harris was one of 22 senators to sponsor the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act, which would have prohibited immigration officers from detaining pregnant women in most circumstances and improved conditions of care for people in custody.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-67) Harris and others wrote a letter to ICE and Customs and Border Enforcement asserting that "the civil detention of an expectant mother for potential immigration offenses is never justified" due to the "absence of compelling evidence that the detention of a pregnant woman is necessary because she is a threat to herself or others, or is a threat to public safety or national security." The senators requested that the CBP enact measures to ensure "timely and appropriate treatment" for pregnant women in custody and that both agencies provide information on how available facilities and doctors are to pregnant immigrants and complete data on the number of those in custody.[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-68) She and other Democrats wrote a letter to [United States Secretary of Homeland Security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Homeland_Security "United States Secretary of Homeland Security") [Kirstjen Nielsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirstjen_Nielsen "Kirstjen Nielsen") demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action to reunite 539 migrant children with their families, saying that each day of inaction intensified "trauma that this administration has needlessly caused for children and their families seeking humanitarian protection."[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-69) Harris, [Kirsten Gillibrand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsten_Gillibrand "Kirsten Gillibrand"), and [Amy Klobuchar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Klobuchar "Amy Klobuchar") sent a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement saying that the agency "should be prioritizing reunification of every child as soon as possible, but instead, it has been responsible for policies that are forcing longer stays in government custody for children", and that it was mandatory that the office "ensure that the custody and processing of \[unaccompanied migrant children\] is meeting the minimum standards required by domestic and international law. |
Harris co-sponsored the Coronavirus Immigrant Families Protection Act, legislation that would have provided dedicated funding for the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention") in its efforts for public outreach in multiple languages to hard-to-reach populations to ensure vulnerable communities are granted access to COVID-19 relief measures and public health information. The bill would have also modified immigration policies deterring immigrants from receiving COVID-related medical care.[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-71) |
Harris, Senator [Dianne Feinstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein "Dianne Feinstein"), and Representative [Juan Vargas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Vargas "Juan Vargas") sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General requesting an investigation into the way detainees are treated at the [Otay Mesa Detention Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otay_Mesa_Detention_Center "Otay Mesa Detention Center") after reports that they were required to sign contracts to receive masks, writing that they were "in a public health crisis, and it is our duty to protect the health and safety of every individual, especially those who are in custody and unable to take precautions on their own". |
Harris has expressed support for the [DREAM Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act "DREAM Act")[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-73) and said that as president she would push for comprehensive immigration reform with an immigration plan that includes renewal and expansion of DACA, allowing undocumented parents, siblings, and spouses of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to seek deportation relief, and using executive actions to undo technical barriers that prevent many Dreamers from receiving legal status by applying for a green card. |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Immigration |
In response to November 2019 [NBC News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC_News "NBC News") reports that between 2012 and 2017 ICE had put thousands of immigrants in [solitary confinement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitary_confinement "Solitary confinement"), some of whom had not violated any detention center rules, Harris, [Cory Booker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Booker "Cory Booker"), and [Dick Durbin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Durbin "Dick Durbin") introduced legislation to prevent ICE from overusing solitary confinement. Harris said the bill required "ICE to comply with specific safeguards to ensure individuals are treated more humanely and ICE is not adding to the trauma many of these people have already been subjected to. |
[BTS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BTS "BTS") met with Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman [Doug Emhoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Emhoff "Doug Emhoff") to discuss the importance of standing up against anti-Asian [hate crimes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crimes "Hate crimes") and [discrimination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination "Discrimination"), May 2022. |
Several senators including Harris signed a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary [James Mattis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mattis "James Mattis") about "the overt politicization of the military" with the Trump administration's deployment of 5,800 troops to the [U.S.–Mexico border](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.%E2%80%93Mexico_border "U.S.–Mexico border") and requesting a briefing and written justification from the U.S. Northern Command for troop deployment, while urging Mattis to "curb the unprecedented escalation of DOD involvement in immigration enforcement. |
In January 2019, Harris was one of 20 senators to sponsor the Dreamer Confidentiality Act, a bill that would have banned the [Department of Homeland Security](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Homeland_Security "Department of Homeland Security") (DHS) from passing information collected on DACA recipients to ICE, CBP, the [Department of Justice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Justice "Department of Justice"), or any other law enforcement agency except in cases of fraudulent claims, national security issues, or non-immigration-related felonies. |
In June that year, after the [U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Department_of_Housing_and_Urban_Development "U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development")'s confirmed that DACA recipients did not meet eligibility for federal backed loans, Harris and 11 other senators introduced The Home Ownership Dreamers Act, legislation that would have prevented the Federal Housing Administration, [Fannie Mae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae "Fannie Mae"), [Freddie Mac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Mac "Freddie Mac"), or the Agriculture Department from denying mortgages solely on the basis of an applicant's immigration status.[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-78) |
Harris and 15 other Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would have mandated that ICE agents get approval from a supervisor before engaging in enforcement actions at sensitive locations except under special circumstances and that agents receive annual training in addition to being required to annually report enforcement actions in those locations. |
In August 2019, after the Trump administration released a new regulation imposing the possibility that any green card and visa applicants could be turned down if they had low incomes or little education or had used benefits such as [food stamps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplemental_Nutrition_Assistance_Program "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program") and housing vouchers, Harris called the regulation part of Trump's ongoing campaign "to vilify a whole group of people" and cited Trump's sending of service members to the southern border and building a border wall as part of his goal to distract "from the fact that he has betrayed so many people and has actually done very little that has been productive in the best interest of American families. |
In July 2018, the Trump administration falsely accused Harris of "supporting the animals of [MS-13](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS-13 "MS-13")."[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-:7-81)[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-:8-82) She responded, "As a career prosecutor, I actually went after gangs and transnational criminal organizations. That's being a leader on public safety. What is not is ripping babies from their mothers. |
On October 25, 2017, Harris said she would not support a spending bill until Congress addressed the [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_Action_for_Childhood_Arrivals "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals") (DACA) program in a way that clarified "what we are going to do to protect and take care of our DACA young people in this country."[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-83) She did not support a February 2018 proposal by some Democrats to provide Trump with $25 billion in funding for a [border wall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_wall "Trump wall") in exchange for giving Dreamers a pathway to citizenship. |
In January 2018, Harris and three other Democratic senators co-sponsored the Border and Port Security Act, legislation that would have mandated that CBP "hire, train, and assign at least 500 officers per year until the number of needed positions the model identifies is filled" and required the CMP commissioner to determine potential equipment and infrastructure improvements that could be used for ports of entry.[\[85\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-85) |
Vice President Harris reviews notes in the [West Wing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Wing "West Wing") of the [White House](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House "White House"), April 2021. |
In 2006, as San Francisco's district attorney, Harris expressed support for the city's [sanctuary city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctuary_city "Sanctuary city") policy of not inquiring about immigration status in the process of a criminal investigation, saying it allowed people to come forward as witnesses to crimes when they might not have otherwise. She argued it is important that immigrants be able to talk with law enforcement without fear. |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Internet privacy and net neutrality |
In September 2017, Harris was one of nine senators to sign a letter to [Federal Communications Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Communications_Commission "Federal Communications Commission") chairman [Ajit Pai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajit_Pai "Ajit Pai") that charged the FCC with failing "to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on the tens of thousands of filed complaints that directly shed light on proposed changes to existing [net neutrality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality "Net neutrality") protections."[\[88\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-88) |
In March 2018, Harris was one of 10 senators to sign a letter spearheaded by [Jeff Merkley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Merkley "Jeff Merkley") lambasting Pai's proposal to curb the scope of benefits from the Lifeline program during a period when roughly 6.5 million people in poor communities relied on Lifeline to receive access to high-speed Internet, saying it was Pai's "obligation to the American public, as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, to improve the Lifeline program and ensure that more Americans can afford access, and have means of access, to broadband and phone service." The senators also advocated insuring that "Lifeline reaches more Americans in need of access to communication services."[\[89\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-89) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### LGBT rights |
As California Attorney General, Harris refused to defend [Prop 8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_California_Proposition_8 "2008 California Proposition 8") in federal court, and after Prop 8 was struck down in [Hollingsworth v. Perry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollingsworth_v._Perry "Hollingsworth v. Perry") in 2013, she called the Los Angeles County Clerk's office, ordering it to "start the marriages immediately". She later officiated at the wedding of the plaintiffs in the case, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, at [San Francisco City Hall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_City_Hall "San Francisco City Hall").[\[90\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-90) |
As a member of the U.S. Senate, Harris co-sponsored the [Equality Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_/(United_States/) "Equality Act (United States)").[\[91\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-:10-91) |
In July 2018, Harris led her colleagues in introducing the Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2018, a nationwide bill that would curtail the effectiveness of the so-called [gay and trans panic defenses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_panic_defense "Gay panic defense"), an issue she pioneered as District Attorney of San Francisco.[\[92\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-92) |
Harris becomes the first sitting vice president to attend a [Pride Parade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_Parade "Pride Parade"), June 2021. |
In October 2019, Harris participated in a CNN/Human Rights Campaign town hall on LGBTQ rights and pledged her support for "all of the folks who are fighting for equality" in cases that would determine whether gay and transgender people are protected under laws banning federal workplace discrimination.[\[93\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-93) Harris drew attention to the epidemic of [hate crimes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime "Hate crime") committed against Black [trans women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_women "Trans women") (at the time 20 killed that year), noting that LGBTQ people of color are doubly discriminated against.[\[94\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-94)[\[95\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-95) |
Harris has since been criticized for a 2015 federal court motion she filed to block gender-affirming medical care for a transgender inmate serving in a California state prison while she was California Attorney General, after the [Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit "United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit") had ruled that denying that treatment violated the [8th Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution "Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution")'s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.[\[96\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-96)[\[97\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-97) |
## Kamala Harris' political views |
### Sex workers |
As district attorney in 2008, Harris opposed Prop K, a San Francisco ballot measure to [decriminalize sex work](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decriminalizing_sex_work "Decriminalizing sex work"), calling it "completely ridiculous".[\[98\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-98)[\[99\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-99) As attorney general, she led the charge against [Backpage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpage "Backpage"), an online classifieds service that had a subsection for escorts.[\[100\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-Vice20161011-100) In 2016, Harris filed charges against the site,[\[101\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-RS2020814-101) leading to the arrest of the CEO and the removal of its adult section.[\[102\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Kamala_Harris#cite_note-102) Harris also co-sponsored the [Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Enabling_Sex_Traffickers_Act "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act") (SESTA), an anti-[sex trafficking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_trafficking "Sex trafficking") law, which holds websites responsible for third-party ads. |