In a campaign that has not yet shown many of its policy cards, Harris has offered only the roughest sketch of a governing agenda.
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is working hard to win the support of older voters, but what would she do to address their many concerns if she is elected president?
In a campaign that has not yet shown many of its policy cards, Harris has offered only the roughest sketch of a governing agenda. But her time as vice president and senator provides some important clues. Among the issues she has addressed in some fashion: Paid family leave, more aggressively lowering the cost of Medicare drugs, unspecified Social Security reforms, tougher nursing home regulation, more funding for Medicaid home and community-based long-term care, and better pay for direct care workers.
The Republican platform, released during its July convention, also was long on promises and short on details. But Harris at least has a track record on some of these issues. Let’s look at how she might approach some as president:
Paid Family Leave: Harris has been a strong supporter of a federal paid leave program for years. She made it a priority in her very first appearance after President Biden withdrew from the campaign in June. The Democratic platform, approved at the party convention but written while Biden was still a candidate, calls for 12 weeks of paid time off to “care for a loved one.” While Harris most often speaks about the idea in the context of raising young children, she has supported efforts to provide leave for those caring for aging parents as well.
Prescription drugs.
