The other side seems obsessed with one simple question, "What did she accomplish?" Since they cannot do the due diligence themselves, here it is in a very simple read!
Kamala Harris has a broad range of accomplishments spanning criminal justice reform, civil rights advocacy, healthcare protection, and environmental justice. As the first female, Black, and South Asian Vice President of the United States, her leadership has focused on advancing policies for racial equity, economic recovery, and voting rights.
Kamala Harris has had a distinguished career as a lawyer, prosecutor, and politician. Here are some of her key accomplishments:
1. **Career as District Attorney of San Francisco (2004-2011):**
- **Tackling Truancy:** Harris implemented a program to reduce truancy rates, which included prosecuting parents of chronically truant students. The initiative led to a significant reduction in truancy.
- **Initiative Against Hate Crimes:** As DA, Harris focused on addressing hate crimes and developed specialized units to combat these offenses.
- **Conviction Rates:** During her tenure, Harris' office achieved high conviction rates, particularly for serious offenses like homicides.
2. **California Attorney General (2011-2017):**
- **Mortgage Crisis Settlement (2012):** Harris played a key role in negotiating a $25 billion settlement for California homeowners as part of a nationwide agreement with banks over foreclosure abuses.
- **Criminal Justice Reforms:** She launched initiatives aimed at reducing recidivism by focusing on education and job training for low-level offenders through programs like "Back on Track."
- **Data-Driven Policing:** Harris introduced OpenJustice, a data transparency initiative that provided public access to statistics on crime, police use of force, and deaths in custody.
- **Defending Affordable Care Act:** As California’s top lawyer, Harris actively fought to protect the ACA, filing lawsuits to uphold its provisions.
### 3. **U.S. Senator (2017-2021):**
- **Leadership on Justice Reform:** Harris co-sponsored the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that reduced mandatory minimum sentences for some non-violent offenses.
- **Focus on Racial Justice and Equality:** As a senator, Harris was an outspoken advocate for racial justice, pushing for police reform and sponsoring legislation like the Justice in Policing Act following George Floyd's death.
- **Climate and Environmental Advocacy:** Harris introduced the Climate Equity Act with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, focusing on communities most affected by climate change.
### 4. **Vice President of the United States (2021-Present):**
- **COVID-19 Response:** Harris played a key role in the Biden administration's efforts to distribute vaccines and provide economic relief through the American Rescue Plan.
- **Voting Rights Advocacy:** Harris has been a vocal advocate for voting rights, helping to lead efforts to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and other legislation designed to protect and expand access to voting.
- **International Diplomacy:** Harris has led U.S. diplomatic efforts in Latin America, focusing on addressing the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) by promoting economic development, combating corruption, and improving security in the region.
- **Space Leadership:** As the chair of the National Space Council, Harris has pushed for advancements in space exploration, the regulation of commercial space activities, and efforts to combat climate change using space-based technologies.