By Sierra Kaplan
Who is Incumbent Vice President Mike Pence?
Vice President Mike Pence is 61 years old, hailing from Columbus, Indiana. Being the son of a Korean War veteran and the younger brother of a politician encouraged him to follow in their footsteps towards serving America.Thus, Mike Pence went to Indiana Law School, meeting his future wife Karen, and eventually being elected to the House of Representatives.
Pence's Political Background
In 2001, Pence was welcomed into the House of Representatives, where he would remain for the next 12 years. This successful campaign followed two losses in 1988 and 1990. In his tenure, he reduced spending, supported defunding Planned Parenthood, and worked to restore more power to local and state governments. His reputation resulted in a unanimous decision to lead as both Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee and House Republican Conference Chairman.
Pence's Political Background
After being reelected in the House five times, Pence announced his campaign for Governor of Indiana, which he won on a slim margin. As Governor, Pence made state history with the largest tax cut of $1.1 billion in 2013. He allocated money towards infrastructure and ratified Indiana's first ever Pre-K funding program. However, his term came with controversy, specifically when signing bills to both forbid abortions in instances of fetal disability and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act which would potentially protect business owners if they refused to serve the LGBTQ+ community because of religious ideals.
Pence as Trump's Running Mate: What are his ideas and values?
Pence is anti-abortion, being the first Vice President to make a speech at March For Life, an anti-abortion rally, which wasearly-on in his term.
His stance on LGBTQ+ rights has sparked controversy when his wife continued teaching at a religious institution that banned the LGBTQ+ community from working there. He said in response that he was offended by the criticisms of his wife's career choice. Additionally, he supported funding for helping LGBTQ+ change their sexuality, which alluded to conversion therapy.
Regarding COVID-19, Pence was appointed to lead the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He encouraged mask-wearing, despite not wearing it himself on several instances. He also opposes the CDC encouraging schools not to reopen.
Who is Democratic Vice President Nominee Kamala Harris?
Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California to immigrant parents with roots in Jamaica and India. She attended Howard University, a historically black university, before attending UC Law School, which would then propel her to become San Francisco's District Attorney. Later in life, she would then be set up on a blind date with Jewish entertainment lawyer, Doug Emhoff, her future husband.
Kamala's Political Background:
As District Attorney, Kamala instituted a Hate Crimes Unit protecting the LGBTQ+ community. After several years as a district attorney, Kamala served as California's Attorney General in 2011, in which she made California the first state to ban the "gay panic" defense. After she was elected to the Senate in 2017, she brought a bill to outlaw it nationally in 2018. Despite being criticized for being too harsh on crime, she supported the First Step Act which would reduce sentencing for nonviolent crimes. She initiated a run for President in the 2020 election, but suspended campaigns and eventually was asked to serve as Biden's running mate.
Biden's Running Mate: What are Kamala's ideas and values?
Kamala is pro-choice, once ridiculing her own running mate, during a primary debate for supporting federal funding blockage for abortion.
Kamala has been at the forefront of supporting but also complicating LGBTQ+ rights. For instance, her hate crimes unit to prosecute and reduce LGBTQ+ violence was influential, and in the past she officiated LGBTQ+ weddings when the state's marriage ban was overturned. However, as Attorney General, she also fought against suppling medical care to a transgender woman who was incarcerated. Since then, she has taken responsibility for how her office decided, stating that transitioning inmates should be given the access to the medical care they rightfully need and deserve.
In response to Coronavirus, Kamala proposed legislation called the RELIEF Act to keep Americans home and safe, without facing severe financial ramifications. This act ensures both homeowners and renters are granted immediate relief, exploitative landlords will be held accountable through legal consequences, and amid the pandemic, mortgage owners and tenants will be financially protected. As for her reaction to the Trump Administration's response, Kamala has openly criticized their inefficient action, blaming the Trump Administration for the detrimental impact on families, where every 80 seconds another person dies from COVID-19.
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