On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) published an oped in the Union Leader endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic agenda.
Entitled “Why Harris is the smart choice for our economy,” Shaheen’s missive makes the case for the Democratic presidential nominee’s plans to impose federal price controls, give first-time home buyers $25,000 in taxpayer cash, and spend billions subsidizing child care.
Shaheen’s editorial published the same morning news broke of Harris’ latest economic plan, her “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.”
It includes $20,000 in forgivable government loans for one million Black “entrepreneurs” to start businesses. The loans would come via new partnerships between the Small Business Administration and community leaders and banks “with a proven commitment to their communities,” according to the Harris campaign.
Should the policy become enacted, these “forgivable loans” would almost certainly be converted into grants.
As soon as Harris announced her plan for a race-based government benefits program, legal experts began declaring it almost certainly unconstitutional. Other critics expressed concern that telling Asian, Hispanic, or White Americans that a federal loan was not available to them because of their race would be divisive and increase racial tensions.
Harris spent Tuesday touting her plan, including in a special audio town hall with popular radio talk host Charlamagne Tha God. During the event, Harris was asked if she supported reparations for Black Americans.
“It has to be studied, there’s no question about that, and I’ve been clear on my position,” Harris said.
If the $20,000 federal program for Black Americans is ever enacted, it would likely have to go through Congress. Would the New Hampshire delegation support it?
NHJournal asked Rep. Chris Pappas and NH-02 Democratic candidate Maggie Goodlander if they would vote for the Harris plan if it came to the House floor. Both Democrats declined to respond, as did Shaheen.
Goodlander’s GOP opponent, Lily Tang Williams, is a Chinese-American businesswoman who would not be eligible for the “forgivable loans” due to her race.
“The Opportunity Agenda for Black Men is a desperate attempt by the Harris campaign to attract black voters as polls show black men are increasingly turning to Republican candidates,” Tang Williams told NHJournal. “It is not constitutional to discriminate against anyone based on race, so this proposal will amount to another failed promise from the Democrats to the black community.
“In Congress, I will not vote for any bills to discriminate against Americans based on race.”
In 2022, White non-Hispanics made up 88.8 percent of the Granite State’s population, the fourth-whitest state in the union. It’s also a state that is almost certain to give its Electoral College votes to Harris in November.
But in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, Harris is struggling. Part of her weakness is underperforming with Black men, which explains the new agenda.
Former President Barack Obama lectured Black men over what he perceived as their sexism keeping them from supporting Harris. He called out a reluctance to support her that “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”
“Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that,” Obama told a group of Harris supporters in Pennsylvania on Thursday.
