Senator Kamala Harris -- who has served as District Attorney (DA) of the City of San Francisco and California Attorney General (AG), before being elected to the U.S. Senate – has a demonstrably strong track record on progressive Democratic issues.
As you can see by the topic list below, many of Senator Harris’ most progressive accomplishments have been achieved when she served as DA and AG in her home state of California.
The list below is organized by topic on domestic issues with bullet points on Senator Harris’ progressive policies, votes and actions over the years as a public servant. This is in no way a complete list and I will likely add more as I continue researching.
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Women’s Rights
- Harris has vowed that passing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) would be one of her first orders of business in her first 100 days as POTUS.
- Harris is an avid supporter of Planned Parenthood, which she believes is “… a health care resource to millions of women and men across the country.”
- Harris voted against a bill that limits abortions to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- Harris supports public funding for abortion services
- Harris voted against Rand Paul’s amendment to HR 6157 that prohibited federal funds for “entities that promote or perform abortion, including any entity that fiscally supports another abortion provider.”
- Harris introduced bills to increase access to mental health care and address high maternal mortality rates for Black women.
- As AG, Harris launched an investigation of anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, whose undercover videos broke privacy laws.
- Harris is endorsed by EMILY's list for pro-choice Democratic women.
- Harris earned a 100% NARAL rating indicating a pro-choice voting record.
Children’s Rights
- As DA, Harris specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases.
- As DA, Harris helped create the Center for Youth Wellness, which is a national leader in responding to significant adverse childhood events and toxic stress in children.
- As DA, Harris established the Truancy Assessment & Resource Center in San Francisco which consolidates Truancy Intervention Resources into a “one-stop” location where students and their families can receive assistance from a variety of City agencies and departments, all working collaboratively.
- As AG, Harris established the Bureau of Children’s Justice which fights discrimination and inequities in the education and foster care systems and includes a focus on childhood trauma and exposure to violence; she also developed a statewide strategy for better serving children exposed to traumatic events.
LGBTQ Rights
- As AG, Harris refused to defend California’s ban on same-sex marriage Proposition 8 in court.
- When the U.S. Supreme Court restored marriage equality to California, Harris officiated at the wedding of the first same-sex wedding after the ruling.
- As AG she ordered clerks to marry same-sex couples seeking a license with “no exceptions.”
- As AG, Harris refused to certify a “Kill the Gays” ballot initiative proposed in California that would have (unconstitutionally) instituted the death penalty for homosexual acts.
- As AG, Harris filed briefs in favor of Obama administration guidance supporting transgender students and against North Carolina’s notoriously anti-LGBT House Bill
- Co-sponsored a bill in the California Legislature to eliminate the “gay panic” defense in cases of murder or violent crime against LGBT people. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the legislation in 2014, making California, along with Illinois, one of two states in the country to ban the plea.
- Co-sponsor of the Equality Act, a bill that amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. Also signed friend-of-the-court briefs arguing transgender people should be allowed to use the public restroom consistent with their gender identity.
- As U.S. Senator, Harris signed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of transgender student Gavin Grimm’s case.
Climate Change, The Environment & Natural Disaster Relief
- Harris has a 100 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters, which tracks voting records on energy and environmental issues.
- Harris was one of eight senators to cosponsor the Climate Risk Disclosure Act.
- Harris was one of 25 senators to cosponsor a resolution specifying key findings of the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change report and National Climate Assessment.
- Harris was one of eight senators to sign a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency charging the agency with not assisting displaced homeowners in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria under the Individuals and Households (IHP) program.
- Harris opposed the Trump administration’s proposal to reverse Obama-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks.
- Harris voted against repealing regulations on methane emissions.
- Harris supports the Paris Climate Accord and believes action is needed to combat climate change.
- As AG, Harris launched an investigation in 2016, into Exxon Mobile after reports that the oil and gas giant lied for decades about the risks of climate change.
- As AG, Harris created the Environmental Justice Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office and prosecuted industries and individuals for pollution, including U-Haul, Alameda Publishing Corporation, and the Cosco Busan Oil Spill; she also advocated for strong enforcement of environmental protection laws.
Education
- Harris co-sponsored the College for All Act proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders which is funded by a fee on Wall Street firms of 0.5 percent per stock trade.
- Harris supports expanding Head Start and Early Head Start, and a national universal prekindergarten.
- Harris received the endorsement of the California Federation of Teachers in her run for the Senate.
Gun Control
- Harris earned an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) for her consistent efforts supporting gun control.
- Harris has gone on the record stating gun violence is a national emergency and that she seeks Federal gun control legislation.
- Harris co-sponsored a bill to ban assault weapons and the sale of high-capacity magazines, defined as those which can fire more than 10 rounds without reloading.
- As AG, Harris defended a state law that blocked gun dealers from displaying signs that show or describe handguns.
- As AG, Harris launched a statewide sweep to capture firearms from anyone illegally possessing them resulting in the confiscation of more than 1,200 firearms.
- Harris has been endorsed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Health Care
- Harris was the first senator to announce cosponsoring Senator Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill.
- Harris was one of 10 senators to sponsor the Choose Medicare Act, an expanded public option for health insurance that also increased ObamaCare subsidies and rendered individuals with higher income levels eligible for its assistance.
- Harris voted against Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill.
- Harris introduced bills to increase access to mental health care and address high maternal mortality rates for Black women.
Immigration
- Harris is one of 20 senators to sponsor the Dreamer Confidentiality Act, a bill imposing a ban on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from passing information collected on DACA recipients to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Justice, or any other law enforcement agency.
- Harris was one of five senators to send a letter to acting director of ICE Thomas Homan on standards used by the agency when determining how to detain a pregnant woman, requesting that pregnant women not be held in custody.
- Harris co-sponsored the REUNITE Act, legislation aimed to reunite families separated at the border.
- Harris introduced a bill to improve oversight at immigration detention centers, and a bill to strengthen protections for unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. custody.
- Harris supports San Francisco's sanctuary city policy of not inquiring about immigration status in the process of a criminal investigation.
- Harris opposes Trump’s border wall proposals and opponses of the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which led to thousands of migrant children being separated from their families at the southwest border.
Anti-Death Penalty & Criminal Reform
- As DA, Harris kept her campaign promise to San Franciscans to never pursue the death penalty, which she considered unjust and immoral.
- As DA, Harris came under harsh criticism from fellow Democrats (who included Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and then-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown) when she refused to seek the Death Penalty for David Hill, found guilty of killing San Francisco police officer, Isaac Espinoza.
- As DA, Harris launched the “Back on Track” program to reduce recidivism by offering nonviolent, low-level drug trafficking defendants job training and other life skills education as an alternative to jail. In the first two years, less than 10% of those who graduated from the program were reoffenders.
Taxes
- Harris voted against the Trump Administration’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and has called for a repeal of the bill's tax cuts for wealthy Americans.
- Harris proposed the LIFT the Middle Class Act, a tax plan for middle- and working-class families which would give a $3,000 refundable tax credit to individuals making $50,000 or less and $6,000 for married couples earning under $100,000. The plan eliminates tax cuts for the wealthy and created a new tax/fee on banks and financial institutions.
- Harris opposed the Trump administration’s tariffs and escalating trade dispute with other countries.
- Harris supported a Senate resolution that rebuked the Trump administration over its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.
Business & Trade
- As AG, Harris negotiated a $25 billion settlement deal with the five largest mortgage companies in the U.S.over mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuses. California homeowners were awarded $18.4 billion in mortgage relief -- the largest federal-state civil settlement ever obtained.
- As AG in 2016, Harris won a $1.1 billion settlement against the now-defunct for-profit Corinthian Colleges for its abusive predatory lending practices that left tens of thousands of students in student loan debt after receiving "useless degrees."
- As a Senate candidate in 2016, Harris opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
- Harris opposed the Trump administration’s tariffs and escalating trade dispute with China.
- Harris supported a Senate resolution that rebuked the Trump administration over its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico.
Sources:
https://kamalaharris.org/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-does-kamala-harris-believe-where-the-candidate-stands-on-9-issues
https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a26551159/kamala-harris-equal-rights-amendment/
https://www.pride.com/politics/2019/1/21/kamala-harris-joins-2020-presidential-race-strong-pro-lgbt-record
https://www.inc.com/emily-canal/kamala-harris-2020.html
https://www.facebook.com/KamalaHarris/posts/planned-parenthood-is-a-health-care-resource-to-millions-of-women-and-men-across/10155252798272923/
https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-senate-harris-milestones-20160706-snap-htmlstory.html