Five policies on which Harris has yet to take a presidential position

The Democratic presidential candidate declined to spell out her position on the death penalty, toughening criminal laws in her home state, restricting late-term abortions, supporting Israel’s war on Gaza and decriminalizing sex work. At least three out of five policies have popular public support.

Harris’ silence comes as she has limited her interviews during the campaign and failed to outline policy positions.

Commuting the death penalty

Harris has opposed the death penalty for decades. But now her campaign won’t answer questions about her stance on the policy, according to the year Axios report.

After being elected San Francisco District Attorney in 2003, Harris declared vehement opposition to the death penalty during her inaugural address.

Harris wavered on the policy in 2014, when he led the California Attorney General’s Office in defending the constitutionality of the state’s death penalty before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

However, less than five years later, she returned to an all-out defense of the policy while praising Newsom for ending the death penalty in California.

During her short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, Harris’ website stated that “Kamala believes the death penalty is immoral, discriminatory, ineffective and a misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

About 62 percent of the country thinks the death penalty should be legal, according to a 2023 poll from YouGov.

Break with Newsom on California crime measure?

In Harris’ home state, California residents are considering a ballot proposal that would toughen crime and reform treatment incentives for drug offenders. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has voiced harsh criticism of Proposition 36, though he recently admitted he doesn’t have the “bandwidth” to use campaign resources to fight the measure.

Newsom and Harris worked together as fellow California Democrats for years in the Golden State. However, the vice president recently declined to say whether he echoed Newsom’s opposition to the ballot measure.

The Harris campaign declined to comment Los Angeles Times application for her position on Proposition 36, according to a report published Wednesday.

Voters in Harris’ home state strongly support the measure 71 percent to 26 percent, according to a poll released earlier this month.

Proposition 36 reverses some of the relaxed crime policies introduced by Proposition 47, which Californians approved in 2014. Harris was the state’s Democratic attorney general at the time and did not consider the measure due to apparent concerns that there could be a conflict. of interest. As attorney general, she was responsible for drafting the ballot summary and title for Proposition 47.

However, several close allies, including Newsom and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, who signed the ballot argument in favor of Proposition 47, strongly supported the proposal.

Bypassing the discussion of term abortion

A staunch abortion supporter, it remains unclear whether Harris supports a federal law allowing abortions after 24 weeks. Abortion is legal at 24 weeks or later in 18 states, according to a recent Axios report, even though polls indicate that late-term abortions are unpopular with the public.

When asked if she would support any restrictions on abortions during her first debate with former President Donald Trump earlier this month, Harris deflected.

“I fully support restoring protection Roe v. Wade“, she told the moderators of the debate. Supreme Court decision in 1973 legalizes abortion until a child is viable. The 24-week mark is generally considered the indicator when the baby is able to survive outside the womb.”

“Nowhere in America is there a woman who carries a pregnancy to term and asks for an abortion,” Harris continued. “That’s not happening.”

There are currently no legal limits on abortion in Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, Vermont, New Jersey, Alaska, and the District of Columbia.

Most of the country opposes second- and third-trimester abortions, according to a Gallup poll last year.

Changes in Middle East Politics

During his recent appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists and throughout his time on the campaign trail, Harris declined to say whether he would make any specific policy changes in President Joe Biden’s approach to the Gaza war.

The issue has inflamed tensions within the Democratic Party ahead of the November election. The Uncommitted Movement, a pro-Palestinian activist group, denied vital support to Harris over her refusal to clarify whether she would break with Biden’s Middle East policy. The group holds significant political power in Michigan, which is a crucial battleground state that Harris will likely need to win to secure a victory in November.

The Uncommitted Movement and other far-left factions of her party are demanding that Harris institute an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as an instant arms embargo on Israel if she wins the election.

During her most recent media appearance and one of two meetings she has held with members of the media, she once again sidestepped questions from a NABJ panel about whether she would continue the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war.

“I absolutely believe that this war needs to end as soon as possible, and the way that’s going to happen is by getting a hostage deal and a cease-fire agreement, and we’re working around the clock to get that done. done, Harris said.

Most of the country wants a ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

Decriminalization of prostitution?

Harris also declined to clarify his 2024 position on the decriminalization of sex work, per year Axios report. Her campaign’s refusal to clarify her position comes after she said in 2019 that she supports the decriminalization of prostitution.

“When you’re talking about consenting adults, I think, yes, we should really consider that we can’t criminalize consensual behavior as long as nobody gets hurt,” she told Root.

She championed the cause of legalizing sex work during her tenure as San Francisco’s district attorney.

“Then we’re arguing that we need to stop arresting these prostitutes and instead go after Johns and pimps because we’re criminalizing women,” she said.

Harris’ position in 2019 marked a reversal from her position in 2008. At the time, she opposed a California ballot measure to decriminalize prostitution.

“I think it’s completely ridiculous, just in case there’s any ambiguity about my position,” she told New York Times. “It would put out a welcome mat for pimps and prostitutes to come to San Francisco.”

These days, the Harris campaign seems perfectly happy to be ambiguous about its position.

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A 2021 poll found 42% of voters in favor of decriminalizing prostitution.

The Washington Examiner contacted the Harris campaign for clarification on its policy positions.