Kamala can’t seem to stand behind anything.
Navigating the political landscape often means confronting shifting stances, and Vice President Kamala Harris is no exception. In a recent development, Harris’s campaign has distanced her from past support for electric vehicle mandates, but this might just be another example of her evolving positions and terrible decision making.
During her tenure in the Senate, Kamala Harris was a vocal advocate for stringent environmental regulations. She co-sponsored the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, which aimed to drastically phase out gasoline-powered vehicles by 2040. This ambitious legislation, introduced alongside Senators Jeff Merkley and Mike Levin, sought to require that 50% of new passenger vehicles be zero-emission by 2030, with a full transition to electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2040. In other words, it would have mandated a complete overhaul of the automotive industry’s fuel sources.
However, Harris’s campaign is now pushing back against claims that she supports forcing all Americans into electric vehicles. Ammar Moussa, the Harris campaign’s rapid response director, has countered accusations from former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), that Harris is pushing for an electric vehicle mandate. According to Moussa, “FACT: Vice President Harris does not support an electric vehicle mandate.”
This denial comes despite the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing efforts to push electric vehicles through various initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides substantial subsidies and tax credits for electric vehicles. Furthermore, the administration has recently finalized new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations aiming to ensure that by 2032, more than two-thirds of passenger cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. will be electric or hybrid vehicles.
Interestingly, during her brief 2020 presidential campaign, Harris promoted even stricter measures, advocating for a ban on internal combustion engine cars by 2035. The administration’s current push, with its focus on limiting tailpipe emissions, suggests a continued commitment to increasing electric vehicle adoption, though the precise nature of these policies might now be subject to revision.
Harris’s shifting positions on key issues like Medicare for All, fracking, and immigration have fueled skepticism about her consistency. As she leads the Democratic ticket in the 2024 presidential race, her campaign’s adjustments on electric vehicle policies may be seen as another instance of her adapting her stance to fit broader voter expectations. Each shift in her policy platform has been communicated through campaign statements rather than direct endorsements from Harris herself, further complicating the narrative for voters.