Despite having endorsed the Green New Deal, some activists say Democratic 2020 candidate Kamala Harris risks blunting her rise in the polls after a strong performance in the first Democratic debate if she doesn’t soon propose her own policies to combat climate change.
The California senator is surging but has failed to introduce a comprehensive plan to combat climate change like some of her competitors have, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
Climate change has matched or overtaken healthcare and jobs in some polls as a top issue for Democratic voters, sparking a competition among candidates to quickly release plans.
“Given her new prominence in the recent polling, it’s time Sen. Harris put forward a clear and ambitious climate plan, or she may risk losing her credibility with party activists, younger voters and other key cohorts she’ll need,” said Paul Bledsoe, a former Clinton White House climate adviser, now with the Progressive Policy Institute. “So far, she has avoided taking a clear position on almost every controversial climate policy issue.”
Along with Biden, candidates such Elizabeth Warren, Beto O’Rourke, and Jay Inslee have introduced detailed policy proposals, most of which share a broad goal of transitioning the U.S. away from fossil fuels to cleaner sources and creating jobs in green technology development while spending trillions on renewable energy.
Harris has sat out the early arms race so far, focusing on other issues such as equal pay and immigration. The Harris campaign did not respond to requests for comment asking about the status of her climate change plan. Harris also provided limited responses to climate policy surveys of the Democratic field conducted by the New York Times and Washington Post. She failed to respond to questions about her views on nuclear energy, carbon pricing, and banning fracking.
Nevertheless, she was the first candidate to proclaim support for the Green New Deal on the debate stage, deeming climate change a “crisis.” She also scored a memorable moment when she warned President Trump’s skepticism of climate change science is a danger to the world.
Harris’ delay in releasing a plan could be strategic, and indicative of a thoughtful approach.
“It’s surprising she doesn’t have a plan out yet, but I have an impression it’s because her team is working on it,” said Leah Stokes, an assistant professor of environmental politics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. “I don’t give other candidates credit for speed. It’s kind of like the tortoise and the hare.”
Other activists note prominent candidates such as Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand have also not released climate change plans.
Candidates like Sanders and Harris with clearly defined economic equity and social justice-driven agendas face challenges about how to incorporate climate change policy.
“The problem we’re finding is campaigns are not articulate enough yet on where they stand,” said a progressive climate policy advocate who advises campaigns, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. “There is also a political calculation of, ‘Do I know where I want to be, how does climate fit into my platform, and can I compete with the Jay Inslee’s of the world who will always knock it out of the park?’”
Supporters, however, boast of Harris’ environmental voting record in the Senate.
“She has a strong climate record and has been an environmental justice leader throughout her career,” said Matt McKnight of the League of Conservation Voters.
Harris holds a 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters, a scorecard based on her Senate votes on environmental issues, most of which have been to oppose efforts to roll back Obama-era climate change rules.
This year, Harris introduced a bill with Sanders and Booker to provide grants to school districts replacing diesel school buses with electric ones. She co-sponsored another bill this year to prevent the Trump administration from opening the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas drilling.
Harris previously said she supports banning new fossil fuel leases on federal lands and waters. She has co-sponsored legislation to limit or repeal tax breaks to oil companies.
Supporters also admire her previous work as California’s attorney general challenging fossil fuel companies and say they could envision her using a presidential platform to pressure industry on climate change.
“Harris could be very excited to prosecute the case against the fossil fuel industry through the Department of Justice,” Stokes said.
Other activists want more.
“We want to see Sen. Harris center the climate emergency in her campaign for president,” said Garrett Blad, a spokesman for the Sunrise Movement, who nonetheless credited Harris with being a “consistent fighter for economic and environmental justice.”
