Harris has spoken generally about supporting the Biden administration’s core goals, which are more or less enshrined in the platform as written. | Image credit: X
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will vote on their 2024 platform Monday night, which outlines the party’s long-standing priorities but incorrectly names President Joe Biden as the candidate seeking re-election.
The largely ceremonial vote at the convention in Chicago signals that the party will unite around a single vision for the next four years. That vision is a bit outdated, however, since Vice President Kamala Harris has only outlined a few of her own specific policies since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee last month.
The Democratic National Committee said Sunday that the more than 90-page document makes a powerful statement about the historic work that President Biden and Vice President Harris have accomplished hand in hand, and offers a vision for a progressive agenda that we can build on as a nation and as a party in the next four years.
The party said its platform committee voted to approve the platform on July 16, days before Biden withdrew from the race and Harris endorsed it on July 21. As a result, the document repeatedly references Biden’s second term and the accomplishments of his administration. It mentions Harris’ work as vice president but does not describe her candidacy or discuss her positions on key issues.
Harris has spoken generally about supporting the Biden administration’s core goals, which are more or less endorsed in the platform as drafted.
The platform calls for restoring abortion rights nationwide, continuing to promote green energy initiatives that can create jobs and help slow climate change, capping child care costs for low-income families, and urging Congress to pass a pathway to U.S. citizenship for long-term illegal residents.
It also argues that Israel’s right to defend itself is unwavering, while endorsing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire agreement that could halt fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Harris unveiled a raft of new economic proposals last week but has otherwise not released a detailed list of her policy positions since taking over the top of the Democratic ticket. Her campaign staff have suggested she is backing away from some of the more liberal stances she took during her first presidential race in 2020, including supporting a ban on hydraulic fracturing.
In any case, candidates are not obliged to adhere to the party programme and often do not do so.
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First publication: Aug 20, 2024 | 07:08 AM IST