Kamala Harris vs. Joe Biden: A Tale of Two Leaders with Different Policies

As vice president, Kamala Harris has often been seen standing beside President Joe Biden, delivering speeches and working on critical issues. But while they share the same political platform, Harris and Biden don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to policy. Harris’s political vision often skews more progressive than Biden’s, reflecting her roots in California’s reform-focused politics. This difference has led to subtle but important distinctions in how they approach key issues like healthcare, criminal justice reform, and immigration. So what really sets Kamala Harris apart from the president she serves alongside?

Healthcare: Harris’s Push for Medicare for All

One of the clearest examples of their differing policies can be seen in healthcare. During the 2020 Democratic primaries, Harris voiced her support for Medicare for All, a universal healthcare system that would eliminate private health insurance in favor of a government-run program. Harris’s stance reflected a more progressive approach to healthcare reform, one that aligned with other left-wing figures like Bernie Sanders (Sullivan).

Harris believed that a single-payer system was the best way to ensure universal coverage, stating that "healthcare should be a right, not a privilege" (Sullivan). This stance put her at odds with Biden, who opposed eliminating private insurance. Biden instead proposed expanding the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, by adding a public option. The two approaches reveal a key philosophical difference: Biden prefers incremental reform to preserve existing systems, while Harris has historically been more open to sweeping, structural changes.

Criminal Justice Reform: Harris’s Evolution vs. Biden’s Legacy

Criminal justice is another area where Harris’s policies differ from Biden’s, though her views have evolved over time. Early in her career as a prosecutor and California’s Attorney General, Harris took a tough-on-crime stance, advocating for policies like increased penalties for repeat offenders and fighting to maintain cash bail (Medina and Smith). However, by the time she entered the U.S. Senate, Harris had shifted her position and became a strong advocate for criminal justice reform.

In contrast, Biden has a complicated history with criminal justice. His involvement in the 1994 Crime Bill—which led to harsher sentencing laws and mass incarceration, especially among people of color—has long haunted his political legacy. While Biden has since called for reforms to undo some of the damage caused by that legislation, Harris has been more vocal about ending mass incarceration, eliminating private prisons, and pushing for greater police accountability (Merica). Harris’s record, while not perfect, shows a marked evolution toward progressive reform, while Biden’s past reflects a more conservative approach, albeit one he now seeks to reverse.

Immigration: Bold Reform vs. Cautious Approach

When it comes to immigration, Kamala Harris has advocated for more immediate and expansive reforms than Biden, although their goals ultimately align. As a senator, Harris was a strong supporter of a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, especially DREAMers (young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children). She also opposed the separation of families at the border under the Trump administration and pushed for comprehensive immigration reform (Kanno-Youngs).

Biden, on the other hand, has taken a more cautious approach. While he supports a pathway to citizenship and has rolled back some of Trump’s harshest immigration policies, his administration has faced criticism from progressives, including Harris, for not moving quickly enough. Harris, who is often tapped to address the “root causes” of migration from Central America, has stressed the need for long-term economic solutions in those countries, but her policy ambitions—such as reducing deportations—sometimes seem to clash with the administration’s more moderate actions (Kanno-Youngs).

Climate Change: Progressive Ambitions

Both Biden and Harris are strong advocates for tackling climate change, but Harris has often positioned herself on the more progressive end of the spectrum. During her presidential run, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal, a far-reaching plan to address climate change through a combination of government investment and regulatory changes. Harris has repeatedly emphasized the intersection of climate policy and social justice, focusing on how climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities (Coral Davenport).

Biden’s approach, while ambitious, has been more measured. His Build Back Better plan included major investments in green energy and infrastructure, but he has shied away from fully endorsing the Green New Deal. Harris’s more progressive stance has resonated with younger and more liberal voters, while Biden has sought to unite a broader base by advocating for policies that are seen as more politically feasible.

What’s the Difference?

Kamala Harris’s policies are often more progressive than Joe Biden’s, reflecting her West Coast roots and experience representing California, a state known for pushing the envelope on reform. While they align on many issues, Harris’s support for Medicare for All, her bolder approach to criminal justice reform, and her backing of the Green New Deal distinguish her from Biden’s more moderate, incrementalist views.

At the same time, Harris’s policy evolution shows that she’s pragmatic. She’s capable of adjusting her views to align with what’s achievable in the current political climate. That ability to balance progressive ideals with political realities is what has made her such a compelling figure on the national stage—and it’s why she continues to draw attention as a possible future leader of the Democratic Party.

Works Cited

Coral Davenport. "Kamala Harris and the Green New Deal: A Vision for Climate Justice." The New York Times, 8 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/us/politics/kamala-harris-green-new-deal.html.

Kanno-Youngs, Zolan. "Harris vs. Biden on Immigration Reform: Tensions Behind the Scenes." The New York Times, 1 Sept. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/us/politics/kamala-harris-immigration.html.

Medina, Jennifer, and Mitch Smith. "Kamala Harris’s Prosecutorial Record." The New York Times, 9 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/us/politics/kamala-harris-prosecutor.html.

Merica, Dan. "Vice President Kamala Harris and Criminal Justice Reform." CNN, 20 Jan. 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/politics/kamala-harris-criminal-justice/index.html.

Sullivan, Kate. "Medicare for All and Kamala Harris’s Healthcare Ambitions." CNN, 8 Aug. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/politics/kamala-harris-healthcare-medicare/index.html.