Wake up with the Washington Examiner: The GOP’s DEI problem and the record Harris can’t escape

Somebody’s DEI problem

Republicans have found great success in attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and programs in recent months. The Supreme Court determined that affirmative action in college admissions was unlawful. Several corporations have reversed course on publicly praising DEI initiatives and have softened their forward-facing programs. 

However, going all in on the DEI offense runs a risk for elected officials. Criticizing programs and institutions might score points with their base, while attacking a person as a “DEI hire” can just as easily spark claims of racism and sexism. 

Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris is already fielding those attacks. Republican leaders are doing their best to keep the troops in line and on message, telling them not to focus on Harris’s historic qualities as the first black woman of South Asian descent to be a serious contender for the presidency. 

White House Reporter Naomi Lim and Senate Reporter Ramsey Touchberry took a dive into the thorny situation Republicans are in, trying to undercut Harris’s executive and political experience without crossing lines of decorum that turn off women, black, centrist, and independent voters. 

“Republicans are grappling with how to politically attack the new Democrat poised to be at the top of the ticket, Vice President Kamala Harris, the first black and South Asian woman vice president, presidential nominee, and possibly president, roughly 100 days before the 2024 election,” Naomi and Ramsey wrote. 

“But some GOP lawmakers have, instead, underscored her ethnicity and gender, resulting in them having to respond to allegations that they are being racist or sexist and undermining the party’s standing with centrist and independent voters,” they added. 

Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY) were the first two officials to try to walk this path. Neither came out the other side covered in glory. 

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called the DEI attacks “stupid” and “dumb” and questioned the political instincts of anyone who would choose to bash Harris for anything other than her policies. 

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-SD) told Naomi roughly the same as McCarthy. 

“This campaign should be about the issues and the clear policy differences that the candidates have, both at the top of the ticket and the down-ballot races,” Thune told the Washington Examiner. “Believe me, there are plenty. There’s a lot to talk about. That is not the issue.”

Fierce DEI critics point out that President Joe Biden himself has nodded at the role DEI played in picking Harris as his running mate in 2020. 

“To me, the values of diversity, equality, inclusion are literally — and this is not kidding — the core strengths of America,” Biden said at a campaign event in Philadelphia in May. “That’s why I’m proud to have the most diverse administration in history that taps into the full talents of our country. And it starts at the top with the vice president.”

But Republicans would rather see criticisms of Harris grounded in what she has done as vice president and what she has promised to do if she replaces Biden in the White House. 

And Harris herself has stayed away, so far, from talking about her historic bona fides, Naomi pointed out. 

“In her first public appearances as a presidential contender, she has not spoken about her ethnicity or gender, indicating she may adopt a similar position to former President Barack Obama, who was selective about when he talked about race,” they wrote.

Click here to read more about the GOP rethinking its DEI attacks.

Tied down by her tiebreaking votes

One thing Republicans are clear to slam Harris for is her historic record of breaking ties in the Senate. Harris has been a key component in helping Biden accomplish his legislative agenda, casting the most tiebreaking Senate votes in history. 

Those votes, Ramsey wrote for us today, underscore the partisan and divided nature of the Senate and of Biden’s accomplishments as president. 

“Given the nature of the party-line votes, Harris is credited for pushing through some of the most divisive nominees and legislation in the Senate,” Ramsey wrote. “Former President Donald Trump and down-ballot Republicans have taken notice, branding her as the liberal arbitrator responsible for many of Senate Democrats’ wins.” 

Some of the highlights of the 33 ties Harris has broken since 2021 include getting the climate spending disguised as the Inflation Reduction Act over the line and laying the groundwork for the $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Republicans say was the largest contributor to the inflationary fire. 

“She was the deciding vote on these massive spending programs that ignited inflation,” National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT) told Ramsey. “She has so many vulnerabilities, and I just think the nation will not elect a far-left San Francisco liberal.”

Harris’s direct role in some of the Biden administration’s most controversial achievements highlights what might be her biggest weakness as the nominee — for every win Democrats attach to her, Republicans are happy to latch her to every failure of the Biden-Harris administration. 

Click here to read more about the ties that bind Harris to Biden’s record.

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For your radar

Harris will deliver the keynote address to the American Federation of Teachers national convention at 11 a.m. before leaving Texas to return to Washington, D.C., where she will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 4:30 p.m.

Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Netanyahu at 1 p.m. before they both meet with the families of Americans being held hostage by Hamas. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will hold a briefing at 1:30 p.m.