As a sign of how much she may be involved in legislative campaigns, Harris has been contacting mayors across the country to see Biden’s coronavirus relief package, Harris’ aide said.
From the moment Harris was chosen as Biden’s running mate, Republicans sought to portray her as a radical who would co-opt Biden’s more centrist agenda and push any government to the left, often resorting to sexist personal attacks. in the process. However, although Mrs. Harris and Mr. Biden had sharp disagreements on a number of issues during the primaries, as her running mate she made a point at each step to demonstrate that she not only embraced her agenda, but studied her proposals in detail and was fully on board as your partner.
On Wednesday, she was amused by the moment when she appeared outside the Capitol for its inauguration. “So proud of you,” said former President Barack Obama when they hit their fists just before their oath. Minutes later, Mrs. Harris, dressed in a purple coat, barely suppressed a smile when she finished taking Judge Sotomayor’s oath. Harris’ aides said she would use a Bible that was once owned by former Supreme Court judge Thurgood Marshall.
After the inaugural ceremony, Mrs. Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, accompanied their predecessor, Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen Pence, down the Capitol steps to Pence’s departure. The couples stopped halfway for a friendly conversation punctuated by laughter. Mr. Pence attended the inauguration, unlike former President Trump.
She can face inherent challenges, however, including finding her place in a west wing filled with Obama’s White House veterans who have known and worked together for years and advising a president with deeply fixed ideas of how Washington operates. And given speculation that 78-year-old Biden may not seek a second term, Harris, who set up his own unsuccessful candidacy for the 2020 White House, will certainly face scrutiny about his electoral future much earlier than her predecessors.
One factor that may work for Harris is Biden’s own experience as vice president, especially at the beginning, when he joined an Obama team at the White House that at times had a club quality. Harris’ allies hope and hope that Biden – and many of the advisers who worked with him, such as the new chief of staff, Ron Klain – will remember what it was like to be “on the other side” and ensure that Ms. Harris and her team are included and trained.
“So many people in Biden’s orbit are sympathetic to what it is like to sit next to OVP,” said Liz Allen, a former Harris and Biden campaign advisor at Obama’s White House, using the official abbreviation for the Office of the President. Vice president. “I think people are going to try hard to make sure that she gets through.”