Then and Now: Comparing Kamala Harris's 2020 and 2024 Agendas
Below is a comparative summary of Kamala Harris’s policy agendas from her 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns.
This summary was generated by OpenAI’s GPT-4o using this prompt.
Affordable Housing
- 2020: Kamala Harris plans to invest over $135 billion to build and preserve affordable housing, pass the Rent Relief Act, and provide $100 billion to help people in historically redlined communities purchase homes.
- 2024: Harris proposes building three million more rental units and homes, providing first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 for down payments, and outlawing new forms of price fixing by corporate landlords.
- What remained the same: Harris continues to focus on increasing affordable housing and supporting homeownership.
- What changed: The 2024 agenda includes specific measures to penalize firms hoarding homes and a larger focus on first-time homebuyer assistance.
Economic Justice
- 2020: Harris aims to reverse Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy, provide a $6,000 tax credit to working families, and raise the minimum wage to $15.
- 2024: Harris plans to cut taxes for over 100 million working and middle-class Americans, expand the Child Tax Credit, and ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share.
- What remained the same: Commitment to tax relief for working families and ensuring the wealthy pay more.
- What changed: The 2024 agenda includes specific tax reforms like a billionaire minimum tax and quadrupling the tax on stock buybacks.
Health Care
- 2020: Harris supports Medicare for All, lowering prescription drug costs, and expanding reproductive health care.
- 2024: Harris focuses on expanding the Affordable Care Act, capping insulin costs, and removing medical debt from credit reports.
- What remained the same: Emphasis on making health care affordable and accessible.
- What changed: Shift from Medicare for All to strengthening the Affordable Care Act and specific measures like capping insulin costs.
Climate Change
- 2020: Harris supports a Green New Deal, holding polluters accountable, and re-entering the Paris Agreement.
- 2024: Harris emphasizes the Inflation Reduction Act, creating clean energy jobs, and advancing environmental justice.
- What remained the same: Commitment to tackling climate change and holding polluters accountable.
- What changed: Focus on specific legislative achievements like the Inflation Reduction Act and international climate leadership.
Criminal Justice Reform
- 2020: Harris plans to end mass incarceration, legalize marijuana, and reform federal sentencing laws.
- 2024: Harris highlights investments in public safety, gun violence prevention, and supporting law enforcement.
- What remained the same: Focus on reforming the criminal justice system and ensuring public safety.
- What changed: Greater emphasis on gun violence prevention and law enforcement support in 2024.
Immigration
- 2020: Harris supports comprehensive immigration reform, reinstating DACA, and closing private detention centers.
- 2024: Harris focuses on securing the border, reforming the immigration system, and supporting a bipartisan border security bill.
- What remained the same: Commitment to comprehensive immigration reform and supporting DREAMers.
- What changed: Increased emphasis on border security and bipartisan solutions in 2024.
Education
- 2020: Harris plans to make public education more equitable, provide debt relief, and raise teacher pay.
- 2024: Harris focuses on affordable child care, public education investment, and reducing student loan debt.
- What remained the same: Commitment to making education more affordable and accessible.
- What changed: Greater emphasis on child care and preschool affordability in 2024.
Foreign Policy
- 2020: Harris emphasizes restoring American leadership, supporting allies, and re-entering the Paris Agreement.
- 2024: Harris focuses on standing with allies, confronting dictators, and investing in American innovation.
- What remained the same: Commitment to strong alliances and global leadership.
- What changed: Increased focus on competition with China and supporting American industries in 2024.
LGBTQ+ Equality
- 2020: Harris supports passing the Equality Act and reversing Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
- 2024: Harris continues to advocate for the Equality Act and protecting LGBTQI+ rights.
- What remained the same: Commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and passing the Equality Act.
- What changed: Not mentioned.
Veterans
- 2020: Harris plans to expand access to health care and housing for veterans and reform the V.A.
- 2024: Harris focuses on ending veteran homelessness, mental health support, and expanding benefits for toxic exposure.
- What remained the same: Commitment to supporting veterans and their families.
- What changed: Specific focus on mental health and toxic exposure benefits in 2024.
Read Harris’s 2020 agenda here. (from the Internet Archive WayBack Machine)