Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed Friday her first potential executive order would be to eliminate college degree requirements for specific federal jobs if she is elected into office in November.
Harris has faced backlash since becoming her party’s presidential nominee for flip-flopping on a handful of left-wing policies she once campaigned on prior to 2020. However, during an event at an IBEW local union hall in Janesville, Wisconsin, Harris was explicitly clear on her intentions to eliminate “unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs.”
“The press is always asking me, ‘What are you going to do on day one?’ One of the things I’m doing on day one — because I can do it by executive order — is I will eliminate unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs,” Harris said. “And then I will challenge the private sector to do the same.”
Harris previously outlined a goal in September to reduce degree requirements for certain federal jobs to expand opportunities for individuals without a four-year degree, according to Reuters. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau, released in early 2023, indicates that over 62% of Americans aged 25 or older do not hold a bachelor’s degree, with three out of five of those without degrees comprising the voter base in 2020.
“And I will challenge the private sector to do the same,” Harris said at a Pennsylvania rally in mid-September.
The promise from the vice president comes after she previously told NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor on Thursday that her first day priorities would revolve around her economic agenda, losing discussing how an “opportunity economy” will help Americans.
“Well, my first priority, which will be probably the package of bills, is about bringing down the cost of living,” Harris said. “So it’s about housing, it’s about child care, it’s about what we need to do to deal with grocery prices. So it’s not one, it’s a package that is with one singular purpose, bringing down the cost of living.”
While Harris has reportedly tried to distance herself from President Joe Biden, she continues to face challenges in explaining how her presidency would differ from his.
Voters consistently cite the economy, inflation, and immigration as top concerns in the election. Yet despite widespread disapproval of Biden’s performance, Harris recently told ABC’s “The View” that not “a thing” came to mind when asked what she would change from the past five years.
Featured Image Credit: Lorie Shaull from St Paul, United States
