If you just need the quick answer, Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States. She’s been in the job since January 20, 2021. Most people know that much, but honestly, the role has shifted a ton lately.
It's weird. The VP is basically a heartbeat away from the presidency, yet the day-to-day work is often invisible until a tie-breaking vote comes up in the Senate. As we sit here in early 2026, the political landscape is shifting, but the constitutional reality remains the same. Harris remains the 49th person to hold this office. She’s the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian American to do it. That’s a lot of "firsts" to carry on your shoulders while also trying to navigate the mess of modern DC politics.
Why knowing who is the Vice President of the US today actually matters
A lot of folks think the VP just goes to funerals and waits for the President to get sick. That's a joke from the 1800s. Today, the job is massive.
Because the Senate has been so closely divided, Harris has had to show up to the Capitol more than almost any of her predecessors. She’s actually broken the record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a Vice President in American history. Think about that for a second. John Adams held the record for over 200 years, and she blew past it. Every time there’s a 50-50 split on a judge or a massive spending bill, she’s the one who walks in and decides the fate of the country. It’s a wild amount of power tucked into a role that John Adams once called "the most insignificant office."
The VP also handles "the heavy lifts." For Harris, that’s included everything from voting rights and broadband expansion to diplomatic missions in Southeast Asia and Central America. When the President can't be somewhere, the VP is the face of America. It's a high-stakes balancing act where you get all the blame when things go south and only some of the credit when they go right.
The Constitutional stuff you probably forgot from school
The Constitution is actually pretty vague about what the VP does. Article II says they’re the President of the Senate, but they don't get to vote unless there's a tie. That’s it. That’s the whole job description.
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Everything else—the office in the West Wing, the massive staff, the role in the National Security Council—is a modern invention. Since the Mondale-Carter era in the 70s, the VP has become a "general advisor." They’re in the room for the most classified briefings. If you see a photo of the Situation Room during a crisis, the Vice President is almost always sitting right there.
The Kamala Harris journey to the West Wing
Before she was the answer to "who is the Vice President of the US today," Harris was a prosecutor. People forget she was the District Attorney of San Francisco and then the Attorney General of California. That "prosecutor" vibe comes out a lot in her Senate hearings. Remember her questioning of Brett Kavanaugh or William Barr? That’s what put her on the map for most of the country.
She’s a Howard University alum. She’s a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. These details might seem like trivia, but they matter because they represent a huge part of the American electorate that hadn't seen themselves in the White House before 2021.
But it hasn't been a cakewalk. Her approval ratings have often mirrored the President's, which is to say, they've been a lightning rod for criticism. Critics from the right hammer her on border policy, while some on the left have felt she hasn't been aggressive enough on certain social issues. It’s a tough spot to be in. You’re the loyal soldier for the administration, but you’re also trying to maintain your own political identity.
What the VP does on a Tuesday
What does a typical day look like? It’s usually a mix of:
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- The President’s Daily Brief (PDB). This is the super-secret intel report.
- Lunch with the President. This is a tradition where they speak candidly without aides in the room.
- Policy meetings on specific assignments (like artificial intelligence or maternal health).
- Calls with foreign leaders to lay the groundwork for treaties or trade deals.
- Rushing to the Senate if a vote looks like it might be close.
Common misconceptions about the Vice Presidency
One big one: people think the VP can fire Cabinet members. They can’t. Only the President has that power. Another one: people think the VP is the "boss" of the Senate. Not really. They preside over it, but the Senate Majority Leader holds the real keys to what gets voted on.
There's also this idea that the VP is always the "heir apparent" for the next election. While it’s common, it’s not a guarantee. Look at Al Gore or George H.W. Bush—it's a springboard, but the landing can be shaky.
The 25th Amendment: The "In Case of Emergency" Glass
We have to talk about the 25th Amendment. This is the legal framework for what happens if the President is incapacitated. If the President goes under for surgery, they officially transfer power to the VP for those few hours. It’s happened a handful of times in history.
In 2021, Harris actually held presidential power for about 85 minutes while President Biden was under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy. For that hour and twenty-five minutes, she was technically the acting President. It was a brief moment, but a historic one.
The current political vibe in 2026
Right now, everyone is looking toward the next election cycle. The role of the Vice President becomes even more scrutinized during these times. Every speech is analyzed. Every travel route is mapped. People are looking for clues about the future of the party.
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Whether you love her or hate her, you can't deny that Harris has redefined the visibility of the office. She’s been more active on the campaign trail and in late-night TV appearances than many of her predecessors. It’s a strategy to humanize the administration in an era where social media clips define political reality.
Actionable insights for staying informed
If you want to keep up with what the Vice President is actually doing—not just the headlines—there are a few things you can do.
First, check the "Daily Guidance" posted by the White House. It literally lists where the VP is and what they’re doing hour by hour. It's public info but nobody looks at it. Second, follow the Congressional Record if you want to see those tie-breaking votes. It’s dry reading, but it’s where the real history is made.
Third, pay attention to the "portfolio." Every VP gets a set of issues from the President. For Harris, it's been things like the "root causes" of migration and voting rights. Watching how those specific issues move tells you how much trust the President is putting in the VP at any given moment.
Stay skeptical of 15-second clips on TikTok. Politics is messy and nuanced. Knowing who is the Vice President of the US today is the start, but understanding the pressure of that office is where the real insight lies.
The most effective way to track the Vice President’s impact is to monitor the Federal Register for executive actions she leads and to watch the Senate’s vote tally for those critical 51st-vote moments. Understanding the VP's role helps demystify how the executive branch actually interacts with your daily life, from the laws that get passed to the way the U.S. is perceived on the global stage.