In a rare moment of candor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) shed light on the true nature of Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent shift in rhetoric. When asked by NBC’s Kristen Welker if Harris was still a “progressive” despite her newfound opposition to bans on fracking and private health insurance, Sanders revealed that Harris is merely being pragmatic in her pursuit of the presidency. In essence, Harris is tailoring her message to appeal to a broader audience, rather than genuinely altering her long-held liberal views.
This calculated approach is evident in Harris’s recent debate performance and her efforts to rebrand herself as a moderate. However, a closer examination of her policy proposals and past record suggests that she remains committed to her radical left-wing agenda. The launch of her “issues” page on Sunday night, which borrowed heavily from President Joe Biden’s website, only serves to reinforce this notion.
A review of Harris’s tax plan, for instance, reveals a focus on cutting taxes for “working and middle-class Americans,” but neglects to mention her previous opposition to the Trump tax reforms, which successfully lowered taxes across the board. Furthermore, her proposal to revive expired family tax credits would disproportionately affect married couples, and her plan to hire thousands of new IRS agents would primarily target families earning less than $400,000 per year.
Harris’s housing plan, touted as a means to make rent more affordable and homeownership more attainable, is similarly underwhelming. The plan relies on recycled policies from the Biden administration, including a rent control scheme that has been widely panned by economists. Moreover, Harris’s promise to “cut red tape” and streamline housing construction is at odds with her history of supporting increased regulations, including “environmental justice” reviews that would drive up housing costs.
The Biden-Harris administration’s war on fossil fuels has already led to skyrocketing electricity prices nationwide, and Harris’s climate agenda would only exacerbate this issue. A glimpse into the potential consequences of her policies can be seen in her home state of California, which boasts the highest gas prices in the country and exorbitant electricity costs.
Harris’s approach to the border crisis is equally concerning. Despite her claims of supporting “the strongest reform in decades,” her proposed legislation would effectively codify the catch-and-release policies that have contributed to the crisis. It remains to be seen whether reporters will press Harris on these inconsistencies, or if it will fall to the Trump campaign to hold her accountable.
