The former member of Congress once rated "most politically left" of any U.S. senator — Vice President Kamala Harris — appears to be on the verge of capturing the Democrat nomination to take on former President Donald Trump.
So, just how left-wing is she?
Well, the answer seems to depend on which phase of her career is under scrutiny.
Important: Newsmax Announces IPO Plan, Get Pre-IPO Preferred Shares, See More Here
When Harris' ticket to political ascendance in California as a district attorney in San Francisco and later as attorney general required a crime fighter, she offended liberals by putting law-breakers behind bars.
At the time, some activists on the left even branded her "right-wing."
Harris eventually was able to overcome her moderate image by consistently casting far-left and "progressive" votes as a senator, and later by serving as President Joe Biden's vice president.
Here are some highlights of her ratings:
- In its 2019 report card on Harris, the nonpartisan GovTrack.us watchdog ranked her "most liberal compared to all senators." It has since retracted that rating and called the data out for its "unreliability."
- Liberal-activist Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) group gave her a perfect, 100% score based on her Senate voting record in 2017 and 2018 — although in other years she did take a few less progressive, more moderate policy stances.
- Harris received a 90% ACLU record in the 116th Congress, from 2019 to 2020.
- The ACLU gave Harris a 100% voting record for her votes during the 117th Congress, just before she became Biden's vice president.
- Her lifetime ACLU approval rating stands at 93%, and she has received a perfect 100% lifetime rating from both the NAACP and Planned Parenthood.
Harris also has received the endorsement of Emily's List, a nationwide champion of abortion. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Democratic strategists are counting on Harris' pro-abortion stance "to invigorate voters in November."
Notice: You Can Get 7% Dividend with Preferred Shares, More Info Here
When the Supreme Court in June 2022 issued its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, overturning Roe v. Wade's federal protection for abortion, Harris referred to abortion as a "constitutional right."
"This is a healthcare crisis," she stated. "Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning."
She has been an outspoken advocate ever since on an issue that Democrats hope to revive to weaponize against Trump, who has steadfastly reiterated the Supreme Court's view that abortion law is determined by the states.
The Sacramento Bee reported in August 2020: "Sen. Kamala Harris' voting record has been one of the Senate's mostly liberal throughout her three years in Congress, according to congressional watchdog groups."
Among the votes that put her back in good standing with progressives: Voting to enhance the power of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), and electing to terminate the state of emergency that President Trump used to begin building the border wall.
Conservative groups' ratings echo GovTrack.us evaluation of Harris as extremely liberal, including:
- Club for Growth, for example, has given her a moribund 4% lifetime rating, reflecting her support for higher taxation.
- CPAC gives her a lifetime voting record of 4.45%.
- The conservative Heritage Action for America rating gave her a 0% rating from 2019 to 2020 in the 116th Congress, and a lifetime rating of just 4%.
Assuming she wins the nomination, Harris will have to defend her record in a way that hasn't been necessary since the 2020 campaign.
One of Harris's last votes before leaving the Senate cast in December 2020, for example, was in favor of the massive $2.3 trillion omnibus funding and COVID response package.
That federal largess has been blamed for touching off the sharp inflationary spiral that was experienced during the first two years of the Biden administration.
Report: Become an Owner in Newsmax! Get Info Here
Note: Get Newsmax+ on your TV and smartphone apps — watch us anytime, anywhere! Start Free Trial here: NewsmaxPlus.com