The thing about a career like Kamala Harris’ is that you can basically find a statistic to prove whatever point you already wanted to make. Critics on the right point to 2019, when a GovTrack analysis labeled her the "most liberal" member of the Senate. Meanwhile, the far left spent the 2020 primary season tagging her with the "Kamala is a cop" moniker, arguing her time as a prosecutor was far too conservative.
Honestly? The reality is way more tangled than a simple left-right toggle.
If you really look at the Kamala Harris voting record, you see a politician who moved from the localized, often "tough on crime" world of San Francisco and Sacramento into a Senate seat where she became a wall of resistance against the Trump administration. Then, she shifted again. As Vice President, she’s spent years as the ultimate "tie-breaker," casting more deciding votes than any human in American history.
Let's get into the weeds.
The Senate Years: Resistance and Policy Priorities
When Harris arrived in D.C. in 2017, she didn't waste much time. She entered a Senate controlled by Republicans, which meant her actual legislative "wins" in terms of passed bills were rare. But her voting record during this time tells you everything about where she was trying to position herself for the future.
She was a "no" on almost everything the Trump administration wanted. She voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. She was a hard "no" on Supreme Court nominees Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
But it wasn't just about saying no.
Health Care and Social Issues
Harris was an original co-sponsor of Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All bill in 2017. That was a huge deal at the time—it was a signal to the progressive wing that she was "one of them." However, by the time she ran for President in 2019, she started to hedge, suggesting a version that kept private insurance involved. This kind of shifting is why people find her record hard to pin down.
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On reproductive rights? She’s been a rock-solid 100% with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She never wavered there.
That Record-Breaking Vice Presidency
You've probably heard the stat: Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a Vice President. The previous record was held by John C. Calhoun, which is a bit of historical irony given their polar opposite politics.
As of late 2023, she hit 32 tie-breakers (and eventually 33). These weren't just for low-level appointments.
She was the 51st vote for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the $1.9 trillion stimulus that sent checks to families during the tail end of the pandemic.
Perhaps more importantly, she cast the deciding vote for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022. Think about that. The biggest climate investment in U.S. history only exists because she sat in that chair and pushed the green button. Without her, there’s no $369 billion for energy security and climate change. No cap on insulin prices at $35 for seniors.
The Judicial Pipeline
A huge chunk of her tie-breaking work was just getting people into jobs. The Senate was so evenly split that even "non-controversial" judges often got stuck in 50-50 deadlocks. Harris broke ties for:
- Alvaro Bedoya for the Federal Trade Commission.
- Catherine Lhamon for the Department of Education.
- Numerous district court judges like Loren AliKhan.
The "Progressive Prosecutor" Paradox
You can't talk about her voting record without acknowledging the work that came before she had a vote in D.C. This is where it gets messy.
As San Francisco DA and later California AG, she didn't "vote" on laws, but she chose which ones to enforce. She’s been criticized for her office’s defense of the death penalty in court, even though she personally opposes it. She also faced heat for a 2015 "anti-truancy" push that threatened parents with jail time if their kids missed school.
But then there's the flip side.
She started Back on Track, a program that allowed first-time drug offenders to get a high school diploma instead of a prison sentence. She also refused to defend Proposition 8 (the ban on same-sex marriage) in court, effectively helping pave the way for marriage equality in California long before it was the national norm.
Sorting Through the Scorecards
If you like hard numbers, the interest group ratings are wild.
- Heritage Action (Conservative): Gave her a lifetime score of 0%. Literally zero.
- Americans for Democratic Action (Liberal): Usually pegged her in the high 90s.
- The Lugar Center (Bipartisan Index): Ranked her as one of the least bipartisan senators.
Basically, if you were looking for someone to "reach across the aisle," Harris' Senate record suggests she wasn't that person. She was a partisan fighter.
What This Means for You
Understanding the Kamala Harris voting record helps you cut through the campaign ads. She isn't the "radical Marxist" the right portrays, nor is she the "conservative cop" the left fears. She’s a pragmatic Democrat who has consistently moved with the center of gravity of her party.
If you want to track her current impact, keep an eye on the Congressional Record. While her tie-breaking frequency has slowed as the Senate math changed slightly, her influence on executive policy—especially on voting rights and maternal health—remains her primary lane.
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Next Steps for Research:
- Check the raw data: Go to Congress.gov and search for bills sponsored or co-sponsored by "Harris, Kamala D." to see her specific policy interests.
- Compare the VPs: Look at the tie-breaking records of Mike Pence or Dick Cheney to see how rarely the VP usually interferes compared to the current administration.
- Follow the Money: Look at the Inflation Reduction Act implementation in your local state to see how that 2022 tie-breaking vote is actually spending tax dollars near you.