Harris looks to Biden for a boost in Pennsylvania as the two are set to attend a Labor Day parade

WASHINGTON — Vice-Chairman Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden headline a campaign event in the key state of Pennsylvania on Monday, with Harris pitching herself as “a new way forward” while remaining fiercely loyal to Biden and the policy he pushed.

The pair will attend and speak at the Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh, marking the first time the two have spoken together on the political stage since the surprise election swings that created a new wave of Democratic enthusiasm for the 2024 election.

Harris’ campaign has said Pennsylvania voters have been re-energized since Harris topped the ticket six weeks ago, with tens of thousands of new volunteers signing up to campaign for her and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Harris and Biden’s appearance at the parade, one of the largest gatherings in the country, is part of a blitz in the state race with just over two months until Election Day.

Harris, 59, has tried to appeal to voters by portraying herself as opposed to toxic politics, rejecting the sharp rhetoric of her Republican opponent, the former president. Donald Trumpwhile also looking beyond the Biden era. But while her approach may be very different from Biden’s, Harris’ agenda is packed with the same issues he has championed: prescription drug cost containment, the Affordable Care Act, the economy and helping families afford child care.

“We’re fighting for a future where we build what I call an opportunity economy, so that every American has the opportunity to own a home, start a business, and build wealth and intergenerational wealth. And a future where we lower the cost of living for America,” she said at a recent rally, echoing Biden’s calls to grow the economy “from the bottom up and from the bottom up.”

Harris appeared briefly onstage with Biden after the president delivered his speech on the opening night of last month’s Democratic National Convention, but the two have not shared a microphone at a political event since Biden himself ran for office. At the time, the campaign primarily used Harris as its lead spokesperson for abortion rights, an issue it believes can help it win in November as restrictions mount and women’s health care deteriorates in the wake of the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Since the ticket swap, the two have appeared at official events and met at the White House.

Harris has been one of Biden’s top validators for more than 3 1/2 years. Now the tables have turned, with Harris looking to back Biden — a Scranton, Pennsylvania, native — to win the potentially decisive state. Biden, for his part, has kept a low profile since ending his reelection bid. He was last in the White House on Aug. 19 and has since vacationed in Southern California and Delaware.

But even now that she has taken over the Democratic Party, Harris has stood steadfastly by Biden’s side. In her first interview about her candidacy, Harris passionately defended Biden’s record and ability to get the job done. even despite the events of the past two months that ended with her candidacy for the White House and Biden as a hopeless candidate.

The 81-year-old president resigned in July after a disastrous debate performance with Trump and a growing choir within his own party to make room for a new generation. Harris and Trump will debate on September 10.

“He cares so deeply about the American people. He’s so smart and — and loyal to the American people. And I’ve spent hours and hours with him, whether it’s in the Oval Office or in the Situation Room. He has the intelligence, the dedication, the judgment and the spirit that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president,” she said in last week’s interview.

Of Trump, she added: “The former president, on the other hand, has none of that.”

Harris said during the CNN interview that serving with Biden was “one of the greatest honors of my career,” and she recounted the moment he called her to tell her he was resigning.

“He told me what he had decided to do and… I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ and he said, ‘Yes,’ and that’s how I found out.”

The vice president said she didn’t need to ask Biden for his support because “he made it very clear that he would support me.”

Harris has also defended the administration’s policies on the southern border and immigration, one of the the government’s most persistent and difficult problemsShe notes that she was tasked with addressing the “root causes” in other countries that caused the border crossings, though Republicans have labeled her the “border czar.”

“We have laws that need to be followed and enforced that relate to people who cross our border illegally, and there should be consequences for that,” Harris said.

While Harris has been more forceful about the plight of civilians in Gaza, the vice president has also voiced support for Biden’s efforts to arm Israel and broker a hostage deal and ceasefire as Israel enters its 11th month of war against Hamas there.

Israel said early Sunday morning that it the bodies of six hostages recovered captured during the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The revelation led to dozens of of thousands of Israelis demonstrating in the streets and demanded a ceasefire.

Harris will join Biden in the Situation Room on Monday to meet with the U.S. hostage-deal negotiation team. He will discuss ongoing efforts to reach a deal that will secure the release of the remaining hostages.