When the Biden administration announced that Gene Sperling would oversee the implementation of its coronavirus relief plan, a question was asked among Democrats: why was it not? Kamala Harris
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After all, when Joe Biden was vice president, he played a similar role for the Obama administration, overseeing the passage and implementation of the 2009 stimulus bill during the recession known as the Great Recession.
During the first two months of the administration, Harris has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 rescue plan and is a constant element alongside Biden, during speeches, executive order announcements and deployments.
But he has not yet played a specific political role in the White House and some were surprised he did not take on Sperling’s responsibilities.
“I think it took a lot of Democrats by surprise,” said a Democratic strategist close to the White House. “And it made a lot of people question what exactly her role as vice president is.”
“It seems like a lot of people are asking this question,” said one Democratic donor who expressed concern that Harris isn’t building his own brand yet. “You have the unique ability to take on your own portfolio and highlight your strengths, so why not take advantage of that?”
On Friday, Harris appeared alongside Biden in Atlanta, where the two met with state lawmakers and advocates for the Asian American community and the Pacific Islands after the murder of eight people, including six Asian women.
Harris is the first black vice president and the first Asian American vice president.
They also visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where they received an update from medical experts on the pandemic. They were also elbow to elbow in meetings with Sens. Raphael Warnock
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During the visit, Harris spoke a few words about Biden’s presentation and his condemnation of the recent rise in violence against Asian Americans.
“Over the last year, we’ve had people in positions of incredible American American scapegoat power, people with the big pulpits that spread this kind of hatred,” said Harris, a remark clearly directed toward the ancients. President Trump
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“Ultimately, it’s about who we are as a nation, it’s about how we treat people with dignity and respect,” he said. “An evil against any of us is an evil against all of us. The president and I will not be silent, we will not stand by, we will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination wherever and whenever it occurs ”.
Harris ’biggest and most important role to date in the new administration may be in the Senate.
He has cast three key 50-50 tiebreaker votes in the Senate and could be the deciding vote on key legislation over the next two years.
He has also taken on a foreign policy role, making calls to the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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Her trip to Georgia, Senate votes, and all of Harris ’work point to a tight agenda, even if she doesn’t lead a political area.
Asked last month in an interview with Axios about what his number of signatures to the administration would be, Harris responded that his approach would be to “make sure Joe Biden is a success.”
Still, Democrats say it would be good for her to develop a portfolio, especially if she wants to take over the reigns of Biden in 2024. This is considered a strong possibility as Biden is 78 years old.
“The challenge for Kamala Harris is that she doesn’t have a well-defined brand,” said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist. “His challenge is to put more definition around him so that people know what he’s getting.”
“Right now people think of her as a competent and intelligent tax attorney, but she has to define herself around a set of issues,” Simmons added.
Harris is also in a delicate situation given the possibility that Biden could only serve one term. Of course, Biden has not ruled out running again, which means the vice president doesn’t have to get ahead of the day’s issues, even if she watches her own steps politically.
“This is a unique situation,” said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist. “Joe Biden has acknowledged the transitional nature of his presidency and this creates expectations for Kamala Harris that we have not seen for a modern vice president. Normally, a vice president is not thinking about his future in such a sharp way right now. “
Harris ’allies say any discussion of his lack of portfolio is unfair.
“Biden and Harris took office amid historic public health and economic crises,” an ally said. “Ending the pandemic and boosting the economy are the main priorities of the public right now. It would not be good for her, for the president or for the country not to be doing other things when everyone focused properly on these issues. “
Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said it’s also not surprising that Harris doesn’t have a portfolio of responsibilities defined so soon in the administration.
“Biden seems to like and respect Harris, but she has a lot more political experience and political experience than she does,” Jillson said. “So it is overshadowing as it becomes familiar with a wide and complex terrain.
“He’s also preparing, contributing and looking smart enough to realize and appreciate it,” he added. “If someone takes you where you want to go, just pick up your feet.”
Morgan Chalfant contributed to this report