Kamala Harris in The New York Times 2020s
On Civil Rights:
Challenged Biden's opposition to busing
Ms. Harris confronted Mr. Biden about his fond recollections of working with segregationists in the Senate and then opened up about her personal history. Mr. Biden, she said, had opposed school busing mandates to integrate schools in the
Source: New York Times on 2020 Veepstakes
Jul 21, 2020
On Crime:
Tough prosecutor; but for reform as candidate
She is a former prosecutor, and her handling of cases involving police shootings of civilians while she was California's attorney general drew criticism from activists on the left, who argued that she was not aggressive enough in stepping in to overhaul
rogue police departments and that she sided too frequently with police unions. Ms. Harris has said she was trying to effect change from "inside" government. "When we want to reform systems, it shouldn't and it can't only be from the outside on bended
knee or trying to break down the door." As a Democratic presidential candidate, Ms. Harris released plans outlining her vision for criminal justice reform and how to "stand up for Black America." As part of the plans, Ms. Harris called for ending mass
incarceration, cash bail and the death penalty; creating a national police systems review board; making attending historically Black colleges and universities debt-free for students; and many other measures.
Source: New York Times on 2020 Veepstakes
Jul 21, 2020
On Health Care:
Supports single-payer without private insurance
Ms. Harris co-sponsored Bernie Sanders's Medicare-for-All legislation, and at a CNN town hall, she responded to a question about private health insurance by saying, "Let's eliminate all of that."
She came under fire for the statement, and the blowback was a signal of the political sensitivity surrounding the issue of abolishing private coverage under a single-payer system.
On the debate stage, the Democratic candidates were asked who would abolish private health insurance. Ms. Harris was among those who raised their hands.
Mr. Biden -- who wants to build on the Affordable Care Act -- did not raise his hand.
Source: New York Times on 2020 Veepstakes
Jul 21, 2020
On Homeland Security:
Target Russian finances to oppose Ukraine invasion
Vice President Kamala Harris told the Munich Security Conference that the Western alliance faced a "defining moment" in the Ukraine crisis and warned Russia's leaders that if they invaded Ukraine, the US and its allies would target not only financial
institutions and technology exports to Russia, but also "those who are complicit and those who aid and direct this unprovoked invasion.""This playbook is all too familiar to us all," she said of the events unfolding near Ukraine's borders. "Russia
will plead ignorance and innocence. It will create false pretexts for invasion, and it will amass troop and firepower in plain sight."
Ms. Harris argued in her speech that the crisis had driven NATO allies together. "As President Biden has said, our
forces will not be deployed to fight inside Ukraine," she said, touching on--but not exploring--the decision to leave the fighting to Ukraine's own military. "But they will defend every inch of NATO territory."
Source: New York Times on 2024 Presidential Hopefuls
Feb 19, 2022
Page last updated: Aug 06, 2024