(TheRedWire.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris talks a big game, but it appears she carries a small stick. On Tuesday, June 22, Senate Republicans successfully filibustered the Democrat’s top legislative priority to overhaul the US election system. Earlier in the month, President Biden put Harris in charge of working with Congress to expand voting rights. Harris said she would “fight like heck with every tool at my disposal.” Now that the Democrats’ election reform legislation is dead, many are wondering what tools she was using, if any.
Essential Politics: Failure of elections bill shows limits of Kamala Harris' influence https://t.co/Pjk3ydjIrX
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 23, 2021
It’s unknown how or if Harris courted Republican votes. To overcome a Senate filibuster, Democrats needed 10 Republicans to vote with them. As it turned out, not a single Senate Republican voted for the bill. The vice president didn’t once visit with Senators to elicit votes. She also made no public statements to move the needle.
Despite the president’s confidence in her, Harris’s only contribution after the final vote was tallied was a short speech, saying the “fight is not over.” She did not elaborate regarding strategy.
As a former Senator, Harris was only there for four years, and she spent two of them running for president. Her relationships with GOP Senators are cordial at best, and she’s been less than effective in negotiating policy points with Republican senators. Once again, her lack of influence was on full display.
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