Biden campaign announces VP pick, Kamala Harris to mixed response from left-leaning democrats and cheers from centrist party leaders.
The Biden campaign characterized Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Bidenās former primary challenger, as an advocate for working class families, and a check on Trumpās power. By prosecuting child sexual assault cases, starting a program to āprovide first-time drug offenders second chances,ā and prosecuting ābig banks that were unfairly foreclosing on homes,ā the campaign believes Harris represented the interests of working families. Additionally, the campaign describes Harris protecting Obamacare, helping win marriage equality for all, defending progressive climate change law as Californiaās attorney general.
The campaign summarized Harrisā Senate career, āsince being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, Kamala has introduced and co-sponsored legislation to help the middle class, increase the minimum wage to $15, reform cash bail, and defend the legal rights of refugees and immigrants.ā
On the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Harris works with sensitive national security and international threats, says the campaign. On the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, she oversees the federal response to emergencies like COVID-19. On the Judiciary Committee, the campaign credits her with āholding Trump administration officials accountableā and serving as a āpowerful voice against Trumpās conservative judicial nominations.ā
Biden: sheās a āfighterā
AĀ close relationship between Harris and Bidenās son Beau, developed as the two fought to ātake on the banking industry.āĀ
Biden was introduced to Harris through his son. Observing her career, Biden concluded that Harris is a āfighter,ā who ādoesnāt hesitate to take on powerful people and powerful interests.ā
According to the campaign, Harris, in the Senate and as a prosecutor, championed racial justice, working class people, criminal justice reform, student debt reform, environmental justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and womenās rights.Ā
The campaign highlighted Harrisā defining victories. This year, Harris created a COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to combat racial inequities in the Trump Administrationās COVID-19 response. Harris cosponsored legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, in the Senate. As a San Francisco District Attorney, she created a drug re-entry program to direct young drug offenders to counseling programs instead of jail. She also mandated a body camera program within her Department of Justice. The campaign also credited Harris with ending cash bail, taking on big oil companies, establishing a safe house for victims of human trafficking, championing a bill to make lynching a federal crime, leading the charge to release migrant children from HHS and DHS custody, and officiating the first same-sex wedding in California after the Supreme court failed to defend LGBTQ+ rights.
Critics from the left and right, support from the center
From the left, Harris was criticized for her record on police reform and racial justice. Critics raised incidents which the Biden campaign ignored in their statement. Former national press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sandersā 2020 presidential campaign, tweeted āwe are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a ātop copā and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump. The contempt for the base is, wow.ā Harris labeled herself a ātop cop,ā publicly.
Harrisā record as a prosecutor marred her own primary campaign. On the debate stage, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard attacked Harris for ā[putting] over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and [laughing] about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.ā
The Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America called Harris a ācop,ā saying āour stance will always be: abolish the police.āĀ
The Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction issued a joint statement, writing that Harris āfailed for years to hold police accountable for gross misconduct in California. We will fight every day to hold Vice President Harris to the higher ideals she often espouses.ā
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), previously a left challenger for the Democratic party nomination, tweeted his support for Harris. āCongratulations to @KamalaHarris, who will make history as our next Vice President,ā he wrote. āShe understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Letās get to work and win.āĀ
Less surprisingly, moderate Democrats also lauded Bidenās choice. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), published a statement saying āas Vice President of the United States, Senator Harris will continue her legacy of trailblazing leadership to move our nation forward.ā Former President Bill Clinton called Harris a āterrific choice.ā Hillary Clinton tweeted, Harris is a proven āincredible public servant and leader.āĀ
Finalists for the VP spot, Stacey Abrams and Gretchen Whitmer also tweeted their support for Harris. Abrams writing that she is āthrilled to support @KamalaHarris as the next VP.ā Whitmer said Biden-Harris will be a āfierce team to Build America Back Better.ā
President Trump commented on Bidenās pick during a press conference, saying āI was a little surprised that he picked her. She did very, very poorly in the primaries.āĀ
His campaign created a video response, in which a narrator speaks over footage of Harris. The narrator says āVoters rejected Harris. They smartly spotted a phony. But not Joe Biden. Heās not that smart. Slow Joe and phony Kamala. Perfect together, wrong for America.ā Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted that āHarrisā extreme positionsā demonstrate āthe left-wing mob is controlling Joe Bidenās candidacy, just like they would control him as president.ā
Trumpās response contradicted his previous commentary. At the end of July, Trump told a gaggle of reporters Harris would be a āfine choice.ā
In two months, Kamala Harris will debate Vice President Mike Pence in Utah. September will bring the first Presidential debate between Biden and Trump.