Kamala Harris addresses policy shifts in interview, her first as Democratic nominee,

 

Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday insisted her "values have not changed" when explaining several shifts in her policy positions and said she would be open to appointing a Republican to her Cabinet in her first interview since becoming the Democratic nominee for president.

Harris and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Governor Tim Walz sat down in Georgia on Thursday for their first joint interview, as they blitz battleground states to win over undecideds and jack up Democratic voter turnout. The duo was on a two-day bus tour in Georgia, a state they hope to keep in the Democratic column in November.

Harris has been under pressure to face unscripted media queries ever since she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket when President Biden withdrew in July. Organizations have been clamoring for interviews, but she has stayed steadfastly on the campaign trail, taking questions from reporters infrequently.

Harris explains policy positions

Bash asked Harris what her policies are now, compared to when she ran for president during the 2020 campaign on things like immigration and energy, and how the voters can be assured about her changed policy positions going forward. At least previously, Harris had been a supporter of fracking bans, even going so far as to cosponsor the Green New Deal. She has also backed away from earlier support for a single-payer health care system. She has also spoken to border security, even promising during her speech at the Democratic National Convention to sign a bipartisan border bill.

"I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is, my values have not changed," Harris replied. "You also mentioned the Green New Deal. The climate crisis, I have always believed-and worked on-is real; it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics, including holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act. We have set goals for the United States of America and, by extension, the globe, around when we should meet certain standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as an example. That value has not changed."

Harris replied, "My value around what we need to secure our border, that value has not changed. I spent two terms as the attorney general of California prosecuting transnational criminal organizations, violations of American laws regarding the passage, illegal passage, of guns, drugs and human beings across the border. My values have not changed."

At one point, Harris attempted to clean up the assertion that she is against banning fracking by suggesting that in 2020 she did not support a ban on fracking, adding "and as president, I will not ban fracking."

But Bash countered with a September 2019 town hall in which Harris said, "no question I'm in favor of banning fracking."

For a moment, Harris seemed taken aback, but said, in 2020, she made clear where she stood. Harris exited the Democratic nomination race in December 2019. Bash pressed her on what changed her mind. 

Harris asserted that her "values have not changed."