Democrats for the People

Gabrielle Dosdos | Nov. 5, 2024 | Opinions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (SCPDA)—As Americans grapple with issues such as the border policy, abortion rights, and gun control, Vice President Kamala Harris emerges as a key figure in the 2024 presidential race. With her strong commitment to economic planning, protection of women’s healthcare rights, and safer gun storage, she promotes her campaign with fidelity.

Sparking change through her campaigns, Vice President Harris takes a progressive approach to financial aid for middle class families in the United States. In multiple interviews and during the presidential debate on Sep. 10, 2024, she proposes an “Opportunity Economy.” This plan would provide a $50,000 tax deduction for small businesses as well as a $25,000 down payment to help low-middle class families, ensuring they receive benefits like the ones of high-income households. A competing economic policy can be found in Project 2025, a conservative policy map featuring economic reforms that reduce corporate taxes to 18%. This change aligns with former President Donald Trump’s tax law which, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, resulted in an average tax cut of $61,090 for the top 1% of households. These conservative reforms harm the lower-middle class, giving upper class families more advantages when tax cuts would immensely benefit impoverished communities.

With this prevalence in community struggles including access to health care and social injustice, many of these concerns have been widely discussed in political debates for years. The abortion ban following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision disregards the needs of vulnerable populations of women who suffer from issues including maternal mortality and sexual assault. The fight for abortion rights is central to women's personal freedoms, and the government’s control over women's bodies has even broader impacts. Harris acknowledges these abortion bans lack health risk exceptions. She is committed to reinstating Roe v. Wade protections, thus restoring legality and security for millions of women in the U.S.

While security applies to women’s healthcare, it also extends to gun reform. A key issue being debated is whether Congress should enforce gun reform, with questions raised about whether increased security measures, including increased police presence or stricter background checks, could reduce gun violence. During the Presidential Debate on Sept. 10, 2024, former President Trump alleged Vice President Harris intended to confiscate guns, which is not true. During a Unite for America 2024 television interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sept. 19, 2024, Vice President Harris spoke about her gun ownership and how she is in favor of the Second Amendment. However, by supporting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, she shows her belief in the expansion of background checks and stronger criminal penalties for gun trafficking which demonstrates these measures are essential for making American societies safer. With these changes in office Vice President Harris facilitated, it supports the notion that she does not believe in confiscating guns but rather safer legislation to reduce gun violence.

With Vice President Harris’ commitment to progressive stances, she positions herself as a leader who advocates for change that has yet to be implemented in the United States. Her alignment with the Democratic Party's ideals of focusing on protecting individual rights and inclusivity shows her dedication to values of justice and equality relayed in the U.S Constitution. During this critical period in our nation, no other candidate shows more promise to lead the country forward than Vice President Kamala Harris.