Kamala Harris has articulated her vision for addressing critical issues if elected president. As the first Black woman and South Asian vice president, she has leveraged various platforms, including campaign advertisements, interviews, and public speeches to communicate her priorities and the issues that resonate deeply with her. Among her primary focuses are the restoration of reproductive rights and the need for stricter measures to combat gun violence. Although some of her proposed initiatives may be presented as broad concepts, she has been transparent about her positions on these significant matters. Take a look at how Harris plans to confront some of the most pressing issues facing the nation today.

1. Immigration

The Oakland native plans to work with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and reform the immigration system.

Harris would like to pass the bipartisan border security bill that aims to hire more asylum workers to streamline the asylum process, increase the number of beds in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers and add additional immigration judges to ensure asylum cases are heard promptly.

She would also implement changes to the immigration system that includes ramping up border security and a pathway that helps immigrants earn citizenship.

2. Abortion

Harris would like to codify Roe v. Wade to reinstate reproductive rights for women across the nation.

While campaigning in Houston, Texas, Harris told supporters, “I pledge to you, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.”

The 60-year-old has been vocal about challenges women have faced in a post-Roe era and has promised to advocate for every woman’s right to an abortion.

During the presidential debate, Harris criticized former President Donald Trump for taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, after he appointed three conservative justices to the bench who granted states’ authority to create their own abortion laws.

3. Student debt

The Biden-Harris Administration has forgiven more than $170 billion in student debt for nearly five million people. That is more than any presidential administration has executed in U.S. history.

While President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which would eliminate school debt for millions of Americans was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2023, Vice President Harris plans to move full steam ahead with attempts to lighten the load for borrowers.

The Howard graduate said in a statement, “I will continue our work to lower costs, make higher education more affordable, and relieve the burden of student debt. I am fully committed to doing what is necessary to build an economy that works for every American.”

4. U.S. Supreme Court reform

The former California senator believes the U.S. Supreme Court needs reform following the overturning of landmark cases like Roe v. Wade and affirmative action.

During a recent town hall meeting with CNN, Harris said, “There is no question that the American people increasingly are losing confidence in the Supreme Court and in large part because of the behavior of certain members of that court and because of certain rulings.”

“I do believe that there should be some kind of reform of the court and we can study what that actually looks like,” added Harris.

5. Gun reform

Harris would like to implement stricter measures to control gun usage in the U.S. to prevent mass shootings in schools, nightclubs, sporting events, concerts, movie theaters, etc.

The vice president vows to “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require universal background checks, and support red flag laws that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”

Harris currently spearheads the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention initiative and has created policies such as enforcing background checks to crack down on gun violence.

Although the former California attorney general plans to implement tough gun reform legislation, she makes it clear that she is a Second Amendment advocate.

In an interview with television mogul Oprah Winfrey, Harris stated that she favors the Second Amendment and owns a gun.

“I’m a gun owner. Tim Walz is a gun [owner],” said the vice president. “If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot.”