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Commentary: The Fifth Estate
Kamala Harris is more than vibes. Here's a primer on her policies
The morning after the first — and likely only — presidential debate last month, Jen White, the host of the NPR show 1A, took a call from an Ohioan named Doug, who complained that Kamala Harris hadn’t set out any specific policies. Doug, who eventually admitted he was a Trump supporter, also explained that he was a small business owner. He went on to complain, somewhat perplexingly, that there was no way Harris could earn his vote because — wait for it — he didn’t agree with her policies on the economy.
The irony, which Jen White failed to note, is that Harris talked about small businesses in her very first debate response:
My passion, one of them, is small businesses … I love our small businesses. My plan is to give a $50,000 tax deduction to start-up small businesses, knowing they are part of the backbone of America's economy.
Harris has also proposed establishing a new federal fund to allow America’s smaller banks to provide low-interest loans to startups, with the goal of adding 25 million new businesses.
Doug’s ignorance, and White’s failure to call it out, is par for the course. It echoes the current GOP line of attack on Harris, which is that she’s all vibe and no policy. In fact, in contrast to Trump, who appears incapable of coherently answering even the most basic policy questions, Harris has set out an array of proposals. But very few of these get covered in any depth by our Fourth Estate, because America’s publishers and producers and algorithms are too busy amplifying her opponents’ rank demagoguery about mythical Haitian pet eaters and rigged elections.
So, as a public service to all Americans of good conscience — and, in particular, any undecided voters in your life — the Fifth Estate has compiled a very brief summary of the vice president’s policy positions.
On the economy, Harris proposes:
*Giving more than 100 million middle-class Americans a tax break, including $6000 for new parents and up to $3,600 per child per year in an expanded child tax credit.
*Providing a $25,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and to work with developers to construct three million new homes.
*Banning hidden bank fees, hiking the minimum wage and eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.
*Allowing the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy to expire and guaranteeing no tax hikes on individuals earning less than $400,000.
*Increasing the corporate income tax from 21% to 28% and setting the capital gains tax rate at 28%.
On reproductive rights, Harris proposes:
*Eliminating the Senate filibuster to bring back the federal protections for a woman’s right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade, which legalizes abortion up until fetal viability, or approximately 22 weeks.
*That Congress to pass a national law safeguarding reproductive rights, including the right to an abortion.
*Guaranteeing access to abortion medications, including mifepristone, nationwide.
On immigration, Harris proposes:
*Passing the bi-partisan border security bill co-authored by conservative Republican senators such as Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford—that Trump encouraged Congressional Republicans to kill in 2024. The bill would close loopholes in the asylum process, give the president greater authority to shut down the border, and hire 1,500 new Border Patrol agents and personnel.
On gun violence, Harris:
*Has made prevention of gun violence central to her campaign.
*Supported the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation President Biden signed into law in 2022, which expanded background checks for gun owners and created new penalties for gun trafficking and purchasing a gun for someone banned from doing so.
*Oversaw the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection, which worked to accelerate implementation of the Safer Communities Act, and so-called red flag laws.
On climate change, Harris:
*Cast the tiebreaking vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark climate law that has turbocharged the renewable energy industry.
*Was an early sponsor of the Green New Deal.
*Supports policies to boost electric vehicles and limit pollution from coal-fired power plants.
*Wants to preserve America’s commitment to the Paris climate agreement.
*No longer supports a ban on fracking.
On foreign policy, Harris:
*Supports America’s commitment to NATO, calling it “the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.”
*Has vowed continued support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, and claimed that if Trump were still president, “Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now.”
*Affirms Israel’s “right to defend itself” while pushing for a cease-fire deal that would return Israeli hostages and end the fighting in Gaza, so “Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
