Kamala Harris Would Make a Good Democratic Presidential Candidate
Who is Kamala Harris?
Kamala Harris is the Junior Senator from California. Her parents were immigrants, her mother from India and her father from Jamaica. Her parents split up when she was 7 then her mother moved to Quebec. She went Howard University and majored in Political Science and Economics. Harris would eventually move back to the California, and earned a J.D. from the University of California in 1989.
In the 1990s, Harris served as Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, California. She joined San Francisco City Attorney's Office ran by Louise Renne, around 2000 as Urban and Community Enforcer. She ran for District Attorney for San Francisco in 2003 and won. Harris served for 8 years as District Attorney then ran for California Attorney's General in 2010. She served in that position for 6 years where she gartered national attention by her legal positions. She was rumored to be on a short list for the Supreme Court after Justice Scalia died. Harris also was rumored to be a replacement for Attorney General, Eric Holder, in 2014 but she declined. She was elected to represent California in the US Senate in 2016 after Senator Barbara Boxer retired. She serves on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Budget, and Homeland Security Committees.
The Issues
Senator Harris is a pro-choice Democrat. She asked Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing, "Can you think of any laws that give government the power to make decisions about the male body?" It made Brett Kavanaugh squirmed because she was highlighting the difference between men and women. Men are allowed to do anything with their bodies without governmental officials advocating laws trying to control them. Senator Harris and many women feel like there is a double standard on laws governing men's bodies compared to women's.
Senator Harris supports the second amendment but does believe the nation needs stronger gun laws and regulations for public safety. In a video here, she called out Congress for not willing to step up and act on the gun violence after the increase of mass shootings in the last decade. She applauded the Parkland students who were at the hearing and protesting the Trump Administration's proposal of arming teachers in schools.
Senator Harris also introduced a tax cut for the Middle Class in the new Congress. Her plan would give extra 6,000 dollars in tax credits for households who make under 100,000 and 3,000 in tax credits for households that make under 50,000. People could receive an extra 500 dollars in every paycheck. Here's the press release from her office. The tax cut has been under some scrutiny from both left and right but it doesn't mean it would be her way or the highway if she was elected as President.
Senator Harris also is a supporter of Climate Change policies. She grilled Mike Pompeo at his senate confirmation hearing as CIA Director about Climate Change. The former Obama Administration CIA Director, Thomas Brennan, used Climate Change as one tool of evaluation to judge on how to proceed around changing regional situations within the world stage. Mike Pompeo couldn't answer the question if he even believed in Climate Change. Her questioning showed that she believes that climate change is not only an domestic issue but a global issue.
Immigration is one of the most important issues to Senator Harris. She is a strong advocate on giving dreamers a clean pathway to citizenship. She has taken a hardline stance on the Trump Administration's Immigration Policies. She has questioned how the Trump Administration uses ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement), why the administration separates families at the border, and why they claim that we need of a border wall without fortifying the ports of entry. Immigration will be a cornerstone of her campaign once she does announce.
Education is another big issue for Senator Harris. As California Attorney General, she went after Corinthian Colleges for false and predatory advertising, securities fraud and intentional misrepresentations to students, winning a $1.1 billion judgment. She has introduced legislation targeting and regulation for profit colleges. Many online colleges are not for profits but Corinthian College manipulated their data and raised rates on students. Here's that bill here. Senator Harris is supporter for public education and making sure that teachers and students have the necessary resources to succeed. She also tweeted that she stands with LA teachers who are currently on strike.
Why do I Think Kamala Harris Could be a Good President?
Senator Harris is one of the smartest women in the Senate! She stays informed on all issues. Her support of progressive policies for Immigration are sorely needed in this country. The issue has been handed down from administration to administration to solve since President Reagan granted amnesty for illegals in 1980s. She is also a former prosecutor so she looks at things through prosecutor lenses. She likes facts, hard evidence, and tends to be fair in her decisions. She commented at the schools and gun safely committee hearing that are many great ideas that been floated around for gun control in the Senate. Senator Harris criticized the chamber and members failure to take up the issue or even have a deliberative debate about the issue. I have heard her talk about the value of education, and I know that she values the importance of education. She believes that education should be fair for everybody. I agree with her when she states that we need to invest in our children and the teachers who teach them.
