In the high-stakes world of American politics, where every move is scrutinized and debated, the question of whether VP Kamala Harris must step down to run for office has sparked a firestorm of speculation and debate.
With the 2024 presidential election on the horizon, the political landscape is ripe with potential candidates, each with their strategies and ambitions. But does the path to the presidency for the current vice president require a strategic retreat before a bold advance?
What does the Constitution say?
The United States Constitution, the foundational legal document of the United States, outlines the structure and functions of the federal government, including the roles and responsibilities of its officers. Among these officers are the President and Vice President.
However, the Constitution itself does not explicitly address the scenario of a sitting Vice President running for President. Instead, it provides a framework that allows for such a possibility without directly mentioning it.
The absence of explicit constitutional barriers to a Vice President running for President reflects the framers’ understanding of the fluid nature of political ambition and the democratic process. In its design, the Constitution allows for the natural progression of political careers, including the potential for a Vice President to seek the highest office in the land.
In practice, several Vice Presidents have successfully run for President, including Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler (who assumed the presidency upon the death of William Henry Harrison and was later elected to a full term), and George H.W. Bush, who served as Vice President under Ronald Reagan before winning the presidency in 1988.
The Constitution’s flexibility in this regard underscores the American political system’s adaptability and its ability to accommodate the ambitions and qualifications of its leaders. It reflects a fundamental belief in the democratic process, allowing for the possibility of a Vice President to ascend to the presidency through election, thereby continuing the cycle of leadership and governance in the United States.
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Handover scenario if Harris is elected
If VP Kamala Harris wins the election, the transition would be more akin to a regular change of administration, similar to what happens every four or eight years when a new President is elected.
In this case, there would be an orderly transition period, during which the President-elect’s team would work with the outgoing administration to ensure a smooth handover of power. This process would include briefings on national security, economic issues, and other key areas of governance.
The transition from the Biden administration to the Harris administration would involve a series of preparations, briefings, and other activities to ensure a smooth transfer of power.
Probable key steps and processes that would typically be involved are:
Pre-Election Preparations
Transition Team Formation
Even before the election, the Harris campaign would likely have begun assembling a transition team consisting of experienced individuals from various backgrounds, including government, law, policy, and politics. This team would be responsible for planning the transition.
Policy Development
The transition team would work on developing detailed policy plans that align with Harris’s campaign promises and priorities. This would involve extensive research, analysis, and consultation with experts.
Post-Election Transition
Ascertainment and Resources
After the election, the General Services Administration (GSA) would formally ascertain the apparent winner, allowing the transition to receive federal funds and access to government resources and personnel.
Transition Planning
The transition team would work on a comprehensive plan for the first 100 days of the new administration, including executive orders, legislative proposals, and appointments.
Agency Reviews
The team would conduct reviews of various government agencies to understand their operations, challenges, and areas where changes might be needed. This would involve briefings from current agency officials.
Personnel Selection
The team would begin selecting key personnel for the new administration, including Cabinet secretaries, agency heads, and other senior officials. Background checks and vetting would commence.
National Security Briefings
The President-elect and her team would receive classified national security briefings to ensure they are up to speed on critical issues, such as ongoing military operations, intelligence matters, and diplomatic negotiations.
Legislative Strategy
The transition team would work on developing a legislative strategy for the new Congress, identifying priorities, and building relationships with key lawmakers.
Inauguration and Early Days
Inauguration
The inauguration ceremony would mark the official start of the new administration. This is a highly symbolic event that includes the swearing-in of the President and the Vice President.
Executive Orders
In the early days, President Harris would likely issue executive orders to implement some of her key policy priorities without needing congressional approval.
Legislative Agenda
The administration would work with Congress to advance its legislative agenda, starting with any urgent measures that require immediate attention.
Public Communication
The new President would communicate her vision and priorities to the American public, setting the tone for her administration.
International Engagement
President Harris would engage with international leaders, either through phone calls, meetings, or international summits, to establish her administration’s foreign policy direction.
Ongoing Transition
Continuity and Change
The new administration would work to balance continuity with the previous administration’s effective policies while implementing changes aligned with its agenda.
Evaluation and Adjustment
The administration would continuously evaluate the effectiveness of its policies and make adjustments as necessary, based on feedback and changing circumstances.
The transition from one administration to another is a complex process that requires careful planning, coordination, and execution. The goal is to ensure that the Harris administration can hit the ground running and effectively govern from day one.
Is VP Kamala Harris the border czar?
An examination of Harris’s contributions to immigration policy shows a more complex picture than that depicted by either her detractors or supporters. It also offers a glimpse into how Harris, who assumed the role of the Democratic frontrunner after Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, might approach one of the country’s most challenging issues.
Contrary to assertions by former President Donald Trump, Republicans, and some media outlets, VP Kamala Harris was not appointed as a “border czar” with the responsibility of overseeing border security or stopping illegal immigration. Her mandate, as outlined by administration officials in March 2021, was to address the underlying factors driving migration from the Northern Triangle and to encourage the governments of these countries, as well as Mexico, to enforce their immigration laws.
Supporters of Harris argue that she exhibited strong leadership by using her influence to secure investments that could potentially reduce migration in the long term.
“She believed, and I think correctly, that her most significant contribution could be leading the effort to attract investment, leveraging the trust that a partnership with the White House would instill in investors,” said Ricardo Zúniga, a former State Department official with expertise in the Northern Triangle who accompanied Harris on her visits to the region.
However, critics argue that Harris could have taken more decisive action but opted for a safer approach, which they claim exacerbated the problem.
“She focused solely on root causes,” said Mark Krikorian, head of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for reduced immigration. “Even if her strategy were successful, it would take generations, not just one term, to see results.” He also noted the lack of evidence that Harris pressured Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries to enforce their immigration laws.
In her defense, Harris has highlighted her efforts, and her campaign has launched a TV ad stating that, as president, she would increase the number of border agents and combat fentanyl and human trafficking. Democrats have also criticized Trump for undermining a bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year that aimed to enhance border security, including the recruitment of additional Customs and Border Protection officers.
“Trump talks a big game about securing the border, but his actions don’t match his words,” the vice president stated in Atlanta last month. She later added, “Donald Trump doesn’t care about border security. He only cares about himself.”
Placed in a tough position
Harris was handed the migration task at a time when border crossings were increasing, drawing significant media attention and prompting demands for action from both sides of the political aisle.
Chris Newman, an immigration rights advocate based in Los Angeles, described Harris as being placed in a tough position. Newman, who is the legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, explained that Harris was expected to craft a comprehensive, long-term policy approach rather than simply delivering a short-term political spectacle.
Biden and Harris had only been in office for two months when Harris was given the responsibility to establish her policy credentials. Biden, during his time as vice president, had also tackled a similar role on immigration. However, in 2021, Harris faced an exceptionally complex scenario due to the absence of reliable partners in the region. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, had a strained relationship with the administration over human rights concerns related to his aggressive approach to crime. Additionally, the then-president of Honduras was later found guilty of drug trafficking.
Harris’s challenges started almost as soon as she took on the role, confirming the worries of some of her staff that it was an assignment with no clear path to success.
In June 2021, Harris visited Mexico and Guatemala. During an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, she defended her decision not to visit the U.S.-Mexico border by stating that she hadn’t been to Europe either and questioned the relevance of Holt’s point.
On that trip, she also faced criticism for her direct warning to migrants: “Don’t come” to the U.S.
Harris chose to concentrate on attracting private investment to the region, leveraging a network of business and nonprofit leaders and utilizing the influence of the White House to demonstrate the Biden administration’s support for this initiative.
This effort involved multinational corporations such as Visa, Nestle, and Meta, as well as smaller nonprofits and businesses in Latin America, all of which committed to increasing their investments or enhancing their support for vulnerable communities.
Addressed corruption
Harris also aimed to tackle the systemic corruption that has driven migration from Central America. Before her 2021 visit to Guatemala, Harris convened a meeting with a group of Guatemalan prosecutors and judges who had been forced into exile in Washington.
Among the attendees was Thelma Aldana, a former top prosecutor who had sought refuge in the U.S. after facing what she claimed were politically motivated corruption charges in her home country.
“I left the meeting convinced that she has a sincere interest in fostering change in Central America,” Aldana remarked.
Additionally, Vice President Harris is credited with assisting in preventing Guatemala’s former president, Alejandro Giammattei, from undermining the 2023 election of his successor, Bernardo Arévalo, according to Luis Von Ahn, a Guatemalan-born technology entrepreneur based in the U.S.
“Giammattei was reluctant to relinquish power, but the Harris administration intervened and essentially told him to cease his disruptive actions,” said Von Ahn, who is also the creator of the language-learning app Duolingo. “This was a significant contribution to Guatemala. When a highly corrupt president refuses to step down, it’s disastrous, and his departure allows us to become a better nation.”
Still deliberating on Harris’ strategy?
Although the Harris campaign and the White House have highlighted data indicating a significant decrease in migration from the Northern Triangle countries since the beginning of 2021, there is ongoing discussion about the factors contributing to this decline.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, attributed the reduction to the efforts of VP Kamala Harris and her administration, stating that their strategies have been effective.
However, independent analysts have expressed doubt that Harris’s approach was the primary cause of the decrease. They argue that the reduction is more likely the result of regional influences, such as the election of a new president in El Salvador and his vigorous campaign against violence. The Salvadoran government has reported a 70% decrease in homicides in 2023.
Julia Gelatt, associate director of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, noted that it often takes years for investments to impact migration trends, and even then, the effects may not be as expected.
“Even substantial economic development doesn’t necessarily reduce immigration as countries might anticipate,” Gelatt explained.
VP Kamala Harris: The scrutiny continues
The question of whether VP Kamala Harris must step down to run for office is answered by the Constitution’s silence on the matter, which implies that no such action is required. The historical precedent of Vice Presidents successfully running for President further supports this interpretation. If Harris were to win the 2024 presidential election, the transition would follow the established protocols for a smooth handover of power, with a focus on continuity and change to ensure effective governance from the outset.
Harris’s tenure as Vice President has been marked by her efforts to address complex issues such as immigration, particularly concerning the Northern Triangle countries. Her approach, which focused on long-term solutions rather than immediate political gains, has been both praised and criticized. While some argue that her strategies have contributed to a decrease in migration, others attribute the change to broader regional factors.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, Harris’s potential candidacy for the presidency will undoubtedly be shaped by her performance in office, her policy achievements, and her ability to navigate the intricate dynamics of American politics. The road to the presidency is fraught with challenges, but history has shown that a sitting Vice President can indeed make the journey from the second to the first office in the land.
As the 2024 election approaches, the American public will have the opportunity to assess VP Kamala Harris’s record and decide whether her vision for the country aligns with their own. In the meantime, the vice president’s actions and policies will continue to be scrutinized, debated, and evaluated as part of the ongoing dialogue that defines the American political system.
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