According to the Washington Examiner, Vice President Kamala Harris no longer supports a federal job guarantee, a key component of the Green New Deal and other progressive initiatives.
The change is part of Harris's broader strategy to position herself closer to the political center as she prepares for the 2024 presidential election. This reversal marks a departure from her previous endorsements of liberal policies, reflecting a recalibration of her political stance.
The federal job guarantee, which Harris once supported, proposed that the government provide jobs to anyone who wanted one. This idea gained popularity among Democrats during the 2020 election cycle and was reminiscent of New Deal policies from the 1930s.
Harris was among the 14 co-sponsors of a 2019 resolution recognizing the duty to pass a Green New Deal, an ambitious plan aimed at creating millions of high-wage jobs. Liberal lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have championed the Green New Deal as a way to address climate change and economic inequality.
Harris's spokesperson stated the campaign's current focus is on future progress rather than past policies. Harris takes pride in the Biden administration's climate achievements and looks forward to building on them.
The Green New Deal resolution, which Harris supported in 2019, included a federal job guarantee as a central element. This policy aimed to guarantee jobs with family-sustaining wages, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security for all Americans.
In 2018, Harris signed a bill that called for a pilot program to provide grants for job guarantees in high-unemployment areas. Despite its progressive appeal, the federal job guarantee lacks significant support among mainstream economists and is associated with modern monetary theory, which challenges traditional views on national debt and government spending.
A 2018 study estimated that implementing a federal job guarantee could cost between $654 billion and $2.1 trillion annually. For context, the current year's budget deficit is projected to be $1.9 trillion, highlighting the potential financial impact of such a program.
Harris's reversal on the federal job guarantee is part of a broader trend of distancing herself from previous liberal policy endorsements. Since President Joe Biden endorsed her 2024 presidential bid, Harris has backtracked on several key issues, including her support for eliminating private healthcare plans under a Medicare for All proposal.
Additionally, Harris has clarified that she will not seek to ban fracking if elected, despite previously expressing support for such a ban. This shift aligns with her strategy to appeal to a broader electorate as she prepares for the upcoming presidential race. RNC spokeswoman Anna Kelly criticized Harris's policy reversals, framing them as an attempt to rewrite her record. Kelly was quoted as saying:
Kamala Harris cannot be unburdened by what has been when it comes to her support for radical environmental policies like the $93 trillion, job-killing Green New Deal, and bans on fracking, plastic straws, and red meat. Harris can try to rewrite her extreme record, but Americans see through it — Kamala Harris is weak, failed, and dangerously liberal, and only President Trump can unleash our economy to Make America Great Again.
Harris's spokesperson emphasized the campaign's forward-looking approach, stating that Harris is committed to building on the progress made by the Biden administration. The focus is on future policies and progress rather than revisiting past positions.
This realignment comes as Harris distances herself from other liberal policies, including Medicare for All and a ban on fracking. These changes suggest a calculated effort to position herself as a more centrist candidate in the upcoming election.
Vice President Kamala Harris has reversed her stance on the federal job guarantee, a key component of the Green New Deal. This shift is part of a broader strategy to position herself closer to the political center ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Harris's spokesperson indicated that the campaign is focused on future progress and building on the achievements of the Biden administration. The RNC has criticized Harris's policy reversals, framing them as an attempt to rewrite her record.
