When the Biden government announced that Gene Sperling would oversee the implementation of his coronavirus relief plan, a question was asked among Democrats: why not 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 approval and implementation of the 2009 stimulus bill during the downturn known as the Great Recession.
For the first two months of the administration, Harris was at the forefront of the COVID-19 rescue plan and is a constant fixture alongside Biden, during speeches, executive order announcements and launches.
But she has not yet achieved a specific political role in the White House, and some were surprised that she had not taken on Sperling’s responsibilities.
“I think it took many Democrats by surprise,” said a Democratic strategist close to the White House. “And it made many people question what exactly her role as vice president is.”
“It seems like a lot of people are asking this question,” said a Democratic donor who expressed concern that Harris is not yet building his own brand. “It has the unique ability to take on its own portfolio and highlight its strengths, so why not capitalize on that?”
On Friday, Harris appeared next to Biden in Atlanta, where the two met state legislators and defenders of the Asian American community and the Pacific Islands after the deaths 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 made comments introducing Biden and condemning the recent increase in violence against Asian Americans.
“Last year, we had people in positions of incredible power like scapegoats for Asian Americans, people with the biggest pulpits spreading that kind of hatred,” said Harris, a remark clearly aimed at ex- President Trump
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“Ultimately, it is about who we are as a nation, it is about how we treat people with dignity and respect,” she said. “A harm against any of us is a harm against all of us. The president and I will not remain silent, we will not remain silent, we will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination, wherever and whenever they occur. ”
Harris’ biggest and most important role so far in the new administration may be in the Senate.
It had three decisive votes in the 50-50 Senate tiebreaker and could be the deciding vote in key legislation in the next two years.
She also took on a foreign policy role, making calls to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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The trip to Georgia, the Senate votes and all of Harris’s work all point to a busy agenda, even if she is not leading a political field.
Asked last month in an Axios interview what his signature problem with management would be, Harris replied that his focus would be “ensuring that Joe Biden is a success”.
Still, Democrats say it would be good for her to develop a portfolio, especially if she wants to take over Biden’s reins in 2024. This is considered a great possibility, given that Biden is 78 years old.
“The challenge for Kamala Harris is that she doesn’t have a well-defined brand,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. “Your challenge is to put more definition around it so that people know what they are getting.”
“At the moment, people think of her as a competent and intelligent prosecutor, but she needs to define herself around a number of issues,” added Simmons.
Harris is also in a delicate situation due to the possibility of Biden serving only one term. To be sure, Biden did not rule out running again, which means that the vice president does not have to anticipate Biden on the day’s issues, even though she keeps an eye on her next steps politically.
“This is a unique situation,” said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist. “Joe Biden recognized the transitory nature of his presidency and that creates expectations for Kamala Harris that we simply did not see for a modern vice president. Usually, a vice president is not thinking about his future so sharply at the moment. “
Harris’ allies say that any talk about the lack of a portfolio is unfair.
“Biden and Harris took office in the midst of historic public and economic health crises,” said an ally. “Ending the pandemic and boosting the economy are by far the public’s top priorities at the moment. It wouldn’t be good for her, for the president or for the country if she was doing other things when everyone was rightly focused on these issues. “
Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, said he also does not find it surprising that Harris does not have a defined portfolio of responsibilities so early in administration.
“Biden seems to like and respect Harris, but he has a lot more political experience and political experience than she does,” said Jillson. “So it is shading as it becomes familiar with broad and complex terrain.
“She is also being prepared, brought along and seems smart enough to understand and appreciate that,” he added. “If someone is taking you where you want to go, just lift your feet.”
Morgan Chalfant contributed to this report