OnTheIssuesLogo

Kamala Harris on Government Reform

Democratic candidate for President (withdrawn); California Senator

 


Lincoln, before 1864 election, left Supreme Court seat open

PENCE: Your party is actually openly advocating, adding seats to the Supreme court, which has had nine seats for 150 years if you don't get your way. I think the American people would really like to know if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed at the Supreme Court of the United States. Are you and Joe Biden, if somehow you win this election, going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?

HARRIS: In 1864, Lincoln was up for reelection and it was 27 days before the election. And a seat became open on the United States Supreme Court. Abe said, "The people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States. And then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land." Joe and I are very clear: the American people are voting right now and it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime.

Source: 2020 Vice-Presidential Debate in Utah , Oct 7, 2020

Get rid of the Senate filibuster to pass Green New Deal

On the issue of this climate crisis, I'm going to tell you, I strongly believe this is a fight against powerful interests. And leaders need to lead. So, lead, follow, or get out the way, and get out the way starting with Donald Trump.

Yes, we need to work across the aisle. But I'm going to tell you, I have been there now two years and some months. I'm seeing no evidence of it. I kid you guys not--in our United States Congress, I was part of a committee hearing, during which the underlying premise of the hearing was to debate whether science should be the basis of public policy. This on a matter that is about an existential threat to who we are as human beings. So, again, back to the United States Congress, here's my point. If they fail to act, as president of the United States, I am prepared to get rid of the filibuster to pass a Green New Deal.

Source: CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall marathon (10 Democrats) , Sep 4, 2019

Discuss eliminating the Electoral College

Harris on Electoral College: It should be eliminated. 16 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Jay Inslee; Amy Klobuchar; Wayne Messam; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren; Marianne Williamson. Twelve Democratic presidential candidates have explicitly called for the abolition of the Electoral College, while five others have said they are open to the idea.

Among those who support repealing it, the remedies vary. Some, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said they would back a constitutional amendment. Four Democrats said they are open to abolishing the system but didn't explicitly back doin

Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues" , Jul 17, 2019

Mandate paper ballots

Harris on Election Security: Mandate paper ballots.

11 CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Michael Bennet; Cory Booker; Julian Castro; Tulsi Gabbard; Kirsten Gillibrand; Amy Klobuchar; Beto O`Rourke; Tim Ryan; Bernard Sanders; Eric Swalwell; Elizabeth Warren.

Election security experts overwhelmingly consider paper ballots the most secure form of voting. That mandate is part of the Protecting American Votes and Elections Act, which would also require post-election risk-limiting audits.

Source: Politico "2020Dems on the Issues" , Jul 17, 2019

New voting rights act; make Election Day a holiday

[Harris Supports] a new voting rights act that would automatically register people to vote; make election day a national holiday and fight back against Republican efforts to suppress the vote.
Source: Detroit Free Press on Democratic 2020 Veepstakes , May 5, 2019

Neighborhood districting increases minority representation

ACLU argument in favor of AB 182: The 2002 CA Voting Rights Act empowers challenges to race-based vote dilution in local at-large elections. AB 182 extends these protections to single-member district systems and designs remedies to avoid diluting the voices and votes of protected communities.

SFGate.com veto analysis:Gov. Brown said in his veto message that existing laws "already ensure that the voting strength of minority communities is not diluted." The 2002 law allows minority groups to challenge at-large (city-wide) elections, increasing the likelihood of control by a white majority. [Since 2002] over 100 local governments switched to district elections.˙The [new] law could challenge district lines if intended to dilute minority votes. Minority advocates and state Attorney General Kamala Harris, supported it.˙

Legislative Outcome: Passed Senate 26-14-0 on 9/3/15; Passed Assembly 53-24-3 on 9/8; Vetoed by Gov. Brown on 10/10.

Source: ACLU on California voting record AB 182 , Oct 2, 2015

Statehood for the District of Columbia.

Harris co-sponsored H.R.317

Congressional Summary: Sets forth procedures for admission into the United States of the state of New Columbia.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (DCist.com, Sept. 2014): The Argument Against: Congress does not have the authority to grant statehood to D.C.; the 23rd amendment, which gave D.C. three electoral votes, would have to be repealed before statehood was granted. Washington is a wholly urban, one-industry town, dependent on the federal government far in excess of any other state. Moreover, with Congress no longer having authority over New Columbia but dependent on it, New Columbia could exert influence on the federal government far in excess of any other state.

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: [Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-DC; the District of Columbia has one representative to Congress and no Senators; Rep. Holmes can introduce bills but her vote does not count]: This 51st state would have no jurisdiction over the federal territory or enclave that now consists of the Washington that Members of Congress and visitors associate with the capital of our country. Those would remain under federal jurisdiction. The New Columbia Admission Act was the first bill I introduced in 1991. Statehood is the only alternative for the citizens of the District of Columbia. To be content with less than statehood is to concede the equality of citizenship that is the birthright of our residents as citizens of the United States.

Source: New Columbia Admission Act 15_H317 on Jan 13, 2015

Automatic voter registration for all citizens.

Harris co-sponsored H.R.12 & S.1088

Congressional Summary:

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: (BrennanCenter.org): Too many Americans go to vote on Election Day only to find their names are not on the voter rolls--often, wrongly deleted. The US is on the verge of a new paradigm for registering voters: automatic, permanent registration of eligible voters, which would add up to 50 million eligible voters to the rolls.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Gov. Christie's veto message on the "Democracy Act", Nov. 2015): Christie called a provision establishing automatic voter registration that requires New Jerseyan to opt out a "government-knows-best, backwards approach that would inconvenience citizens and waste government resources for no justifiable reason." Automatic voter registration would have added 1.6 million people to the state's voter rolls.

Source: Voter Empowerment Act 15-S1088 on Mar 19, 2015

Sponsored bill for election holiday & easier voting access.

Harris co-sponsored For the People Act of 2019