Columnist John Sheirer: Harris’s record is clear

John Sheirer

John Sheirer

By JOHN SHEIRER

Published: 09-08-2024 9:19 PM

Yesterday, when I was walking our cute, smart dog Libby through our neighborhood, a gaggle of strangers rounded the corner and approached us. “Hey, what are your policies for this neighborhood!” they shouted. “When are you going to tell us where you stand on leaf blowers and fences and streetlights and dog poop?”

Libby looked up at them and said, “He’s been talking about that stuff for years. And he always picks up my poop.”

“Whatever!” the strangers harrumphed. “He hasn’t talked to us. What about us, huh?” And then they stomped away.

Okay, none of that is true, except for the parts about picking up dog poop and Libby being cute and smart. But that imaginary scenario reflects what it’s like when the national press obsesses about their view that Kamala Harris is avoiding interviews and news conferences and not spelling out every detail of her policy positions.

In reality, Harris has been speaking about policy to Americans at packed rallies across the country for weeks. She’s our current vice president and spent years as a senator, state attorney general, and city district attorney. Yet the press acts like she’s a mystery person who appeared in a puff of vapor a few weeks ago when Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and endorsed her.

I support the press, but the quest for clicks and ratings leads to shallow reporting. Pretending that Harris’s policies are unknown is as ridiculous as strangers approaching someone on the street and demanding a discussion of neighborhood policies. Worse still, the press seldom demands policy details from Donald Trump or even asks basic follow-up questions at the deranged spectacles he calls “news conferences.”

Harris’s record is clear. She’s the “Harris” of the “Biden/Harris” administration. While no vice president controls policy, she certainly had significant input in shaping this administration’s many policy accomplishments. Here are a few highlights:

■The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supported our bridges, roads, airports, public transportation, broadband internet, waterways, and energy systems.

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■The American Rescue Plan reduced childhood poverty, stimulated the economy, and rolled out life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations.

■The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act improved gun laws.

■The Inflation Reduction Act lowered prescription drug prices, invested in American clean energy jobs and manufacturing, and instituted a minimum corporate tax rate.

■The CHIPS and Science Act strengthened American manufacturing and innovation.

■The administration provided college debt relief and increased Pell Grants.

■The PACT Act expanded veterans’ health care.

■The Federal Respect for Marriage Act codified marriage equality nationwide.

■An executive order protected reproductive health care and supported women’s choice.

■The administration rejoined the Paris Agreement to fight climate change.

■The administration led the free world’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and strengthened the NATO alliance.

■The administration supported Israel’s defense while strongly advocating for a cease-fire.

Harris stands for these policies as vice president and plans to enhance them as president.

Harris also embraces policies for what she calls “the opportunity economy,” including proposals for banning corporate price-gouging on groceries, raising the minimum wage, ending taxes on tips, continuing to lower prescription drug costs, significantly expanding the child tax credit and business startup tax deduction, supporting first-time homebuyers, incentivizing starter home construction, and rolling back the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy while not raising taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 per year.

The press isn’t clearly connecting these policies with Harris, which is more their failing than hers.

Republicans frequently lie about Harris’s policy record because they know the press seldom calls out their dishonesty. They blame Biden/Harris for worldwide inflation. In reality, inflation can be attributed primarily to the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and corporate greed. Thanks to Biden/Harris policies, the U.S. experienced milder inflation than most industrialized nations, and inflation has slowed while wages are rising.

Republicans also blame Harris for the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, which was actually precipitated by Trump’s 2020 surrender to the Taliban and his refusal to create a coherent withdrawal plan. Instead, he spent his final months in office trying to overthrow the election he lost. Despite Trump’s dereliction of duty, the Biden/Harris administration oversaw the airlift of 122,000 Americans and allies from Afghanistan.

And, of course, Republicans dishonestly blame immigration issues on Harris. They claim that she was some all-powerful “Border Czar” when, in reality, she investigated the causes of migration from Central America, which actually led to reduced illegal immigration from that region. Republicans also ignore the times their party blocked immigration reform in Congress in 2001, 2005, 2013, 2018, and this year, when Harris helped negotiate bipartisan immigration reform in the Senate. Trump himself sabotaged that bill so he could continue to lie about immigration as a campaign strategy rather than risking the Biden/Harris administration getting any credit for addressing the issue.

We should all know by now that Harris has a strong record of worthwhile policies. We should also know by now that Trump is a convicted criminal and adjudicated rapist with terrible policies. He lies, insults, flip-flops, and displays obvious cognitive decline while much of the press shrugs and pivots to criticize Harris.

Harris has been speaking out on policies to make our national neighborhood even better as president. The press may not be listening, but we the people are.

John Sheirer is an author and teacher from Florence whose recent book, “First-Person American: Personal Essays About Our Nation’s Public Issues,” collects his recent Gazette columns.