Vice President Kamala Harris has kept a low profile since losing the election to President-elect Trump and has been vacationing in Hawaii with second gentleman Doug Emhoff since last week.
Harris arrived in Kalaoa, Hawaii, on Tuesday for what is expected to be a weeklong trip, a break from the rigorous campaign schedule she has maintained over the past few months but also from her duties as vice president, where she retains her tie-breaking power. vote as president of the Senate during the final months of President Biden’s administration.
The timing of the vice president’s trip has raised questions, with some noting that many Democratic National Committee staffers are unsure about their future, while others were surprised by sudden layoffs.
PRESIDENT BIDEN ADMITS THAT PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECISION TO LEAVE
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Chicago, June 24, 2022. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Harris’ vacation during a briefing Thursday, arguing that there was nothing “wrong” with the vice president taking a vacation.
“The vice president has taken some time off to spend time with her family. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think she deserves some time to be with her family and have some time off. She’s worked very hard over – over the years. last four years, and that she took a couple of days to be with her family, it’s good for her,” Jean-Pierre said.
Harris is still expected to play a critical role in helping Biden approve several judges as Democrats race against the clock to surpass the 234 who were confirmed during Trump’s first term, according to an NBC News report last week.
With Democrats holding such a slim majority in the upper chamber, Harris broke the record last year by casting the most decisive votes of any vice president in history, the report notes, and Democrats are expected to lean on the vice president a again in the coming years. weeks.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech Nov. 6 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
DEMOCRATS’ FURY OVER ‘UNQUALIFIED’ TRUMP NOMINEES PUTS BIDEN’S STAFFING DECISIONS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
“This is something they want to clarify,” a senior Harris adviser told NBC News.
“He will definitely be available for any tied vote,” a second senior aide said.
“It’s a big focus,” a third source told the outlet.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also said Tuesday that she was notified that Harris would be available, although the senator had not spoken to Harris personally, according to the report.
“The goal is to fill as many judicial appointments as we can,” Warren said.
Vice President Kamala Harris listens as President Biden speaks about border security at the White House, January 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
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Meanwhile, a senior aide to Harris told NBC News that the vice president had already delayed her trip in case she was needed in the Senate, though many of those votes are now expected to take place in December, when Harris returns to Washington. .
Harris’ campaign and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
