When the Biden administration announced that Gene Sperling would oversee the implementation of its coronavirus relief plan, a question was posed to the Democrats: why wasn’t it? Kamala Harris
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After all, when Joe Biden was vice president, he had a similar role for the Obama administration, overseeing the adoption and implementation of the 2009 stimulus law during the downturn known as the Great Recession.
In the first two months of the administration, Harris has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 bailout and has been a constant factor on Biden’s side during speeches, executive order announcements and rollouts.
But she has yet to fulfill a specific policy role in the White House, and some were surprised she didn’t get Sperling’s responsibilities.
“I think it has surprised a lot of Democrats,” said a Democratic strategist close to the White House. “And it made a lot of people wonder what exactly her role as vice president is.”
“It seems like a lot of people are asking that question,” said a Democratic donor who expressed concern that Harris is not yet building her own brand. “She has the unique ability to address her own portfolio and highlight her strengths, so why not capitalize on that?”
On Friday, Harris appeared alongside Biden in Atlanta, where the two met with state lawyers and attorneys from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities after the murders 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 side by side in meetings with Sens. Raphael Warnock
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During the visit, Harris provided comments introducing Biden and condemning the recent wave of violence against Asian Americans.
“For the past year, we’ve had people in positions of incredible power scapegoating Asian Americans, people with the greatest pulpits spreading this kind of hatred,” said Harris, a comment clearly aimed at former President Trump
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“Ultimately, it’s about who we are as a nation, this is about how we treat people with dignity and respect,” she said. “An evil against one of us is an evil for all of us. The President and I will not be silent, we will not stand by, we will always speak out against violence, hate crime and discrimination, wherever and whenever it occurs. ”
Harris’ greatest and most important role to date in the new administration may be in the Senate.
She has cast three casting votes in the 50-50 Senate and could be the casting vote on crucial legislation for the next two years.
She has also taken on a role in foreign policy and has contacted the Prime Minister of Israel by phone Benjamin Netanyahu
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The trip to Georgia, the Senate votes, and all of Harris’s work point to a busy schedule, even though she is not the spearhead of any policy area.
When asked in an Axios interview last month what her signature problem would be in the administration, Harris replied that her focus would be “making Joe Biden a success.”
Still, Democrats say it would be good for her to develop a portfolio, especially if she wants to take over the reins from Biden in 2024. That’s considered a strong possibility, given that Biden is 78.
“The challenge for Kamala Harris is that she doesn’t have a clear brand,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. “Her challenge is to give her more definition so that people know what they are getting.”
“Right now, people regard her as a skilled, savvy attorney district attorney, but she has to define herself around a range of issues,” added Simmons.
Harris is also in a delicate situation, given the possibility that Biden can only serve one term. To be sure, Biden hasn’t ruled out running again, meaning Vice President Biden doesn’t have to get ahead of the day’s troubles, even though she’s politically watching her own next steps.
“This is a unique situation,” said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist. Joe Biden has recognized the temporary nature of his presidency and that creates expectations for Kamala Harris that we simply have not seen for a modern vice president. Normally, a vice president doesn’t think so acutely about their future right now. “
Harris’ allies say any conversation about her lack of a wallet is unfair.
“Biden and Harris have taken office amid historic public health and economic crises,” said an ally. “Ending the pandemic and boosting the economy are by far the top priorities of the public right now. It wouldn’t be good for her, the president, or the country if she did other things when everyone else was rightly focused on those issues. “
Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, said he also doesn’t find it surprising that Harris doesn’t have a defined portfolio of responsibility so early in the government.
“Biden seems to like and respect Harris, but he has a lot more political and policy experience than she does,” Jillson said. So she’s shadowing as she becomes familiar with a wide and complex field.
“She’s also being prepared, brought in, and she seems 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