Vice President Kamala Harris landed a fifth and sixth job under President Joe Biden already this week, as the president asked her to go on a vaccine education tour and handle the administration's efforts to protect voting rights.
These tasks were assigned as the vice president is about to embark on her first trip abroad - to Guatemala and Mexico - as part of the most controversial part of her portfolio: dealing with the 'root' causes of migration from the Northern Triangle, which is primarily responsible for the current border crush.
Rounding out her workload are the issues of broadband and space, while she's also leading a pro-union taskforce that would take a 'whole-of-government approach to empower workers.'
Vice President Kamala Harris was tasked in late March to deal with the root causes of migration and serve as a point person to the Northern Triangle countries and Mexico
THE BORDER
In late March, Biden announced he had tapped Harris to lead the effort to stem migration coming from the Northern Triangle countries - El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - and up through Mexico.
Harris, he said, 'agreed to lead our diplomatic effort to work with those nations.'
Very quickly Harris became a target for Republicans as border crossings soared and she didn't travel to the border to see the conditions on the ground.
In mid-April, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the 'confusion' surrounding Harris' role with the migrant crisis is 'perplexing,' arguing immigration policy has never been a 'one-woman' job.
Psaki also pointed out that Biden, as vice president, had essentially played the same role during the Obama years.
Harris previewed the upcoming trip to Guatemala and Mexico City Wednesday morning.
She said she'll be meeting with Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei on the 'front leg of the trip,' hoping the two could have 'an honest and real conversation.'
'We have a lot to discuss,' she told reporters, including what they could do to 'support the folks who need help in terms of hunger, the economic development piece, the extreme weather.'
'It's also about the need to have very frank and honest discussions about the need to address corruption, to address crime, and violence, and in particular against some of the most vulnerable populations in that country,' she continued.
VOTING RIGHTS
On Tuesday, just six days out from her first international trip as vice president, Biden made news when he said he was assigning Harris voting issues.
'I'm asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts and lead them, among her many other responsibilities,' Biden said during his speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, marking the 100th anniversary of the city's race massacre.
'With her leadership, and your support, we're going to overcome again, I promise you. But it's going to take a hell of a lot of work,' Biden added.
Harris reiterated the assignment in a statement: 'President Joe Biden asked me to help lead our Administration’s effort to protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.'
'In the days and weeks ahead, I will engage the American people, and I will work with voting rights organizations, community organizations, and the private sector to help strengthen and uplift efforts on voting rights nationwide,' Harris continued.
'And we will also work with members of Congress to help advance these bills,' the vice president said.
That means Harris will be back at her old stomping grounds - the U.S. Senate - as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already pledged to give the House-passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a vote when Congress returns from its Memorial Day break later this month.
President Joe Biden (right) announced Wednesday that Vice President Kamala Harris (left) would embark on a vaccine education tour
VACCINE TOUR
On Wednesday the White House announced Harris would be leading a vaccine tour as the administration aims to have one shot in the arms of 70 per cent of U.S. adults by the Fourth of July holiday.
Harris will 'lead a nation-wide tour to reach millions of Americans who still need protection against the virus, to highlight the ease of getting vaccinated, encourage vaccinations, and energize and mobilize grassroots vaccine education,' the White House said.
The president was more specific about where Harris would travel and said she would be joined by additional surrogates.
'The vice president's going to lead that tour across the south and the midwest,' Biden said in remarks Wednesday afternoon. 'We still have millions of people to vaccinate. She is going to be joined by the first lady and the second gentleman and cabinet secretaries along the way.'
SPACE
Taking on the same role as the previous vice president, Mike Pence, Harris is chairing the National Space Council.
The announcement was made in early May.
'I think her approach to this is just going to be to get the job done, and use this to lead our space policy, and not really focus, perhaps as much on big displays,' one official told ABC News on how Harris would differ in the job than Pence, who made multiple trips to Florida for rocket launches.
President Joe Biden announced during his first presidential address before Congress that Vice President Kamala Harris would be leading the effort to curb the digital divide
BROADBAND
On April 21, when Biden made his first Congressional address to a joint session, the president said Harris would also be leading the effort to curb the digital divide.
Biden's aim is to expand broadband access nationwide.
'It's going to help our kids and business succeed in the 21st century economy,' he said. 'And I'm asking the vice president to lead this effort, if she would, because I know it will get done.'
Biden initially asked for $100 billion in his infrastructure plan to expand broadband. The most recent GOP counteroffer included $65 billion.
PRO-UNION TASKFORCE
Also in late April, Biden announced the formation of a pro-union taskforce that would look into ways to aid labor.
The taskforce would be chaired by Harris.
It would take a 'whole-of-government approach to empower workers,' essentially looking into what laws could be used to help workers organize.
No comments:
Post a Comment