Kamala Harris Is Not a Progressive – Here's Why
It’s one thing to support Kamala Harris, whether because you personally like her or simply see her as a better alternative to Trump. However, it’s an entirely different matter to label her as a progressive. While Kamala Harris may have paid lip service to some progressive policies, the reality is that she is not, and never has been, a true progressive. Her track record clearly indicates that she is a centrist, neoliberal, and corporate Democrat who has repeatedly stood in opposition to the more transformative changes that progressives are fighting for. In fact, rather than championing a progressive agenda, Harris is likely to curtail it.
Kamala Harris’s Neoliberal Leanings
Kamala Harris's political career has been defined by centrist and neoliberal policies that align more closely with corporate interests than with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. While she has occasionally signaled support for certain progressive causes, such as Medicare for All, her positions have consistently wavered, revealing her true centrist leanings.
For instance, during the 2020 Democratic primary, Harris initially co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’s Medicare for All bill, only to walk back her support later in the campaign. She eventually proposed a hybrid plan that would preserve the role of private insurers, a far cry from the single-payer healthcare system that progressives advocate for. This pivot was largely seen as an attempt to appease the healthcare industry, which remains one of the largest donors to the Democratic Party. According to OpenSecrets, the healthcare sector contributed over $66 million to Democrats in 2020 alone .
Kamala’s Corporate Ties
Harris’s ties to corporate interests are well-documented, and they heavily influence her policy positions. During her time as California’s Attorney General, Harris refused to prosecute Steven Mnuchin’s OneWest Bank for foreclosure violations, despite evidence that the bank had engaged in predatory lending practices that led to the wrongful eviction of thousands of homeowners . Mnuchin, who went on to serve as Treasury Secretary under Trump, later contributed to Harris’s Senate campaign, raising questions about her willingness to stand up to powerful financial interests.
Moreover, Harris's economic advisers include figures like Brian Deese, a former executive at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm . BlackRock, which controls trillions of dollars in assets, has been criticized for its role in exacerbating income inequality and environmental degradation. The fact that Harris has chosen to align herself with figures like Deese further underscores her commitment to neoliberal economic policies that prioritize corporate profits over the well-being of the working class.
Harris’s Record on Progressive Issues
Kamala Harris's record on progressive issues is mixed at best and outright antagonistic at worst. On criminal justice reform, an issue that progressives have championed for years, Harris has often taken positions that are more aligned with the status quo than with the transformative change the left seeks. As California’s Attorney General, she resisted efforts to reduce the state’s prison population, even defying a federal court order that mandated the release of prisoners to alleviate overcrowding . Harris also opposed the legalization of marijuana for much of her career, only changing her stance when it became politically convenient during her Senate campaign .
On environmental issues, Harris has voiced support for a Green New Deal but has been reluctant to fully embrace the sweeping changes necessary to combat climate change. Instead of taking bold steps to transition the U.S. away from fossil fuels, Harris has adopted a more moderate approach that includes support for fracking, a practice that environmentalists have long argued is incompatible with a sustainable future . This lukewarm commitment to environmental justice highlights her unwillingness to challenge the powerful corporate interests that profit from fossil fuel extraction.
The Democratic Party’s Neoliberal Core
Kamala Harris’s centrism is not an anomaly but a reflection of the Democratic Party’s broader embrace of neoliberalism over the past several decades. Since the 1990s, when Bill Clinton’s administration championed policies like welfare reform and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Democratic Party has consistently prioritized corporate interests and market-based solutions over the needs of working people. Barack Obama’s presidency continued this trend, with policies like the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which preserved the role of private insurance companies and fell short of the universal healthcare that progressives demanded.
While the Democratic Party has made progress on social issues, such as LGBTQ+ rights and criminal justice reform, these gains often serve to obscure the party’s conservative economic policies. A 2020 study by the Economic Policy Institute found that income inequality in the U.S. has continued to rise under both Democratic and Republican administrations, with the top 1% of earners now holding more wealth than the entire middle class combined . Despite calls from progressives to address this inequality through policies like wealth taxes and universal healthcare, the Democratic establishment has remained committed to preserving the neoliberal economic order.
The Futility of Expecting Progressive Change
For those hoping that Kamala Harris will somehow lead the charge for progressive change, the reality is bleak. Harris's track record demonstrates that, while she may pay lip service to progressive causes, she is fundamentally a centrist politician who is more concerned with appeasing corporate donors and maintaining the status quo than with enacting bold, transformative policies.
Yes, Harris may occasionally propose or support policies that have progressive elements. But these will likely be incremental reforms, designed to placate the progressive base while preserving the existing power structures that benefit the wealthy and corporate elite. In the end, this is not the progressive agenda that many Americans are hoping for—it is a continuation of the neoliberal status quo that has dominated American politics for decades.
It’s important to distinguish between supporting Kamala Harris as the better alternative to Donald Trump and mistakenly believing that she is a progressive. Harris’s corporate ties, her centrist policy positions, and her resistance to bold, systemic change reveal her true political leanings. Kamala Harris is not a progressive, and expecting her to lead the charge for progressive change is to ignore her history and the broader neoliberal direction of the Democratic Party.
While she may pass or propose some progressive policies, her centrism and loyalty to corporate donors will ultimately curtail any real push for a progressive agenda. In a time when the country desperately needs transformative change, Harris represents more of the same—a politician committed to maintaining the neoliberal status quo rather than challenging it.
Sources
Gallup. (2020). In U.S., Support for Universal Health Coverage Reaches New High.
OpenSecrets. (2020). Top Contributors to Democratic Candidates in 2020.
The Guardian. (2019). Kamala Harris Won't Acknowledge Her Role in Deepening California's Housing Crisis.Link
The Intercept. (2019). Kamala Harris’s Criminal Justice Record Kills Her Progressive Cred.
Public Citizen. (2020). Corporate Influence in the 2020 Election: Who Is Bankrolling Candidates?
Rolling Stone. (2020). Kamala Harris’s Mixed Record on Progressive Causes.
Economic Policy Institute. (2020). U.S. Income Inequality Continues to Rise.