Jewish Democratic Council of America(JDCA): About Vice President Harris

From Jewish Democratic Council of America(JDCA)
About Vice President Harris:
Vice President Harris has dedicated her career to pursuing justice and safeguarding civil rights for all.
Born in Oakland, California, Vice President Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco in
2004, where she became a leading advocate in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, tenant rights, and
more. She then served as California Attorney General, holding polluters accountable, protecting
homeowners and tenants, prosecuting sex offenders, and reducing recidivism in California’s prisons. She
was elected to the Senate in November 2016, where she worked to combat climate change, secure voting
rights, and protect minority communities from hate and consistently supported aid to Israel and opposed
antisemitism. In 2020, she broke barriers as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first
Asian American to be elected Vice President of the United States. As Vice President, she has played key
roles in fighting antisemitism and calling out sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas, as well as
protecting fundamental rights and securing historic investments in environmental protections,
infrastructure development, and healthcare access.
Key Issues:
● Protecting Abortion Rights: Since the overturn of Roe v Wade, Vice President Harris has led
the fight to protect access to reproductive care. She became the highest-ranking official to ever
visit an abortion clinic and conducted a nationwide reproductive freedoms tour to advocate for
the importance of abortion access.
● Defending Democracy: Vice President Harris has promoted voting access and combatted voter
suppression. She has outlined a strategy to safeguard voting rights, protect poll workers, and
fight discriminatory laws in court. As president, Harris will continue pushing for comprehensive
democracy reform packages such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the
Freedom to Vote Act.
● Advancing Gun Safety Reform: Vice President Harris helped pass and implement the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major piece of gun control legislation in three
decades, which protects women from domestic violence, provides funding to implement red flag
laws, expands background checks, and increases funding for mental health in schools. She also
oversees the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
● Protecting our Planet: Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation
Reduction Act, which is the most comprehensive legislative package to address our changing
climate by investing in new, good-paying clean jobs and significantly reducing carbon emissions.
It also made sure that corporations began to pay their fair share of taxes.
Supporting the Jewish Community:
● Combating Antisemitism and Hate: Vice President Harris is a friend and ally to the Jewish
community. She played a key role in drafting the first-ever National Strategy to Counter
Antisemitism in U.S. history. As Vice President, she also supported increased funding for the
Nonprofit Security Grant Program, bolstering funding to help secure synagogues and other
Jewish institutions from antisemitic hate crimes. Throughout her career, she has condemned acts
of violence and antisemitism against Jewish Americans, visited Yad Vashem, and led a Senate
resolution to combat antisemitism.
● Supporting the U.S.-Israel Relationship: Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has
demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. Prior to and since October 7, Vice
President Harris made it abundantly clear that Israel has a right to defend itself. She has
prioritized engaging with Israeli government officials, supported full funding for U.S. security
assistance to Israel, and repeatedly called for eliminating the threat Hamas poses to Israel.
FAQs on Vice President Harris:
Where does Kamala Harris stand on Israel?
a. Throughout her career, Vice President Kamala Harris has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the
security of Israel. Prior to and since October 7, Vice President Harris made it abundantly clear that Israel
has a right to defend itself. The Biden-Harris administration has worked tirelessly to support Israel
diplomatically and militarily, fight antisemitism, and bring the hostages held by Hamas home. She has
gone out of her way to draw attention to Hamas’ use of sexual violence on Oct. 7.
b. Harris played a critical role in the passage of the National Security Supplemental package, which provided
Israel with $15 billion in aid. She held calls with congressional leadership to ensure its passage.
c. Harris has met and worked with Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, Gantz, and more, to support Israel’s
security, improve Israel’s relationship with Arab partners, and coordinate international policy on a host of
issues, including climate change.
What has she done to combat antisemitism, and how will she support the Jewish community?
a. Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff played a key role in drafting the first-ever
National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. The strategy mobilizes over two dozen federal agencies and
contains over 100 specific, actionable steps to end this scourge of hate and prevent antisemitic attacks.
b. In the Senate, Harris was the lead sponsor of S.Res.118, a resolution condemning hate crimes and any other
forms of racism and discrimination. The resolution highlighted the threat posed by antisemitism and its
dangerous rise and called on the Trump administration to devote additional resources to combating hate
crimes, including those targeting Jews.
c. When then-Senator Harris visited Yad Vashem in 2017, she wrote: “As we bear witness to the horrors of the
Holocaust, let us always strive to remember that we as human beings have so much more in common than
what separates us. And by embracing this truth, let us live up to that solemn promise — never again!”
What is Kamala Harris’s record as a prosecutor?
a. As State Attorney General, Harris secured a $26 billion settlement from major banks to help California
homeowners. The average homeowner received $20,000 in mortgage aid.
b. Harris went after oil companies and polluters, securing billions of dollars from Chevron and BP for
violating hazardous waste laws. She defended legislation and executive orders in court when oil companies
tried to overturn them.
c. Harris launched numerous initiatives designed to curb recidivism as both a District attorney and Attorney
General. The California Department of Justice became the first statewide agency to adopt a body camera
program, which required all special agents to wear the devices. Harris launched a first-of-its-kind law
enforcement training on implicit bias and procedural justice in an effort to allow for more neutral policing.
d. Harris protected student borrowers from for-profit colleges that misrepresented their programs, obtaining a
$1.1 billion judgment against a California-based for-profit college system.
What did Kamala Harris accomplish as Vice President?
a. Voting rights: Kamala Harris is a leading advocate for voting rights and safeguarding our democracy. She
worked within the administration to promote access to voter registration and fight against voter suppression.
Because of her efforts, the federal government is taking historic action to protect poll workers, ensure all
eligible citizens are registered to vote, and make election information easily accessible for all.
b. Abortion access: Since the overturn of Roe v Wade, the Vice President has led the fight to restore and protect
reproductive care. She became the highest-ranking official to ever visit an abortion clinic and conducted a
nationwide reproductive rights tour to advocate for the importance of abortion access.
c. Inflation Reduction Act: Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest
climate investment in history. The Inflation Reduction Act is projected to create over 1.5 million jobs, save
families hundreds of dollars on health insurance, and reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.