Despite her self-portrayal as a moderate, Vice President Kamala Harris has introduced legislation that would have created trillions of dollars in new benefit checks and dramatically expanded the federal government's role in American life.
As a U.S. senator, Kamala Harris's legislative record was sparse, with only a handful of minor resolutions passing the finish line. However, two bills she introduced, though never enacted, provide a glimpse into her past priorities and potential future agenda as a lawmaker.
These bills would have transformed the federal government into an unprecedented source of financial aid, distributing trillions of dollars in new benefit checks to Americans. The Rent Relief Act, for example, would have created a refundable tax credit covering rents exceeding 30% of gross income, potentially raising rents instead of lowering them.
Kamala Harris's Forgotten Senate Agenda: A Sprawling Scheme for Unprecedented Federal Spending
The Climate Equity Act would have established a federal office tasked with addressing environmental disparities and ensuring that certain communities "benefit" from climate investments. The CCP-esque "COVID-19 Bias and Anti-Racism Training Act" proposed federal grants for training aimed at reducing disparities in COVID-19 response efforts.
However, two Harris bills far surpassed the rest in sheer audacity and cost. The 2019 "LIFT" Act would have created a new refundable tax credit of $3,000 for individuals earning under $30,000 and $6,000 for married couples earning under $60,000. These payments would have been in addition to other growing benefits for low-income households.
Kamala Harris's Forgotten Senate Agenda: A Sprawling Scheme for Unprecedented Federal Spending
The Urban/Brookings Tax Policy Center estimated the LIFT Act would have added nearly $3 trillion to deficits in its first decade. This dwarfed the $1.6 trillion cost of expanding the Child Tax Credit, as proposed by President Biden.
During the pandemic, Harris introduced the 2020 "Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act," perhaps the most expensive legislation ever proposed. Estimated at $21 trillion, this bill would have sent most Americans $2,000-per-month in "crisis payments" from March 2020 through August 2023.
Kamala Harris's Forgotten Senate Agenda: A Sprawling Scheme for Unprecedented Federal Spending
Households could have collected up to $10,000 per month or an astonishing $120,000 per year, nearly double the U.S. median household income at the time. Over 42 months, a typical family of four could have received $336,000 in federal benefit checks without working a minute.
The overwhelming majority of Americans would have qualified for these monthly payments, whose $21 trillion cost would have been seven times that of the 2020 CARES Act. It would have effectively doubled the federal budget and sent the national debt soaring well over $55 trillion.
President Biden's statement that "show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value" is particularly relevant in Harris's case. Her mostly forgotten Senate agenda reveals her high value for dramatically expanding federal benefits, spending, and deficits.
While Republicans prevented these initiatives from being enacted, the next 100 days will determine whether Harris's record of extraordinary fiscal recklessness will gain traction in the White House. If she assumes the presidency, her past proposals indicate a potential for unprecedented federal spending and societal transformation.
