Susan Rice: ‘Bizarre and Offensive’ to Say that Kamala Harris Has Not Been an Integral Architect of the Policies of the Biden Admin.

Mitchell: “Let me also ask you about NBC reporting that Harris is going to begin to highlight, quote, ‘unfinished pieces of Biden’s agenda that she would champion as president.’ She has been criticized so far for not laying out policies in these couple of weeks where she’s, you know, frankly had to organize a campaign and choose a running mate, but universal child care, paid family leave, affordable housing, minimum wage increase, a lot of the things you worked on in the White House. How important is it for her to find a way to differentiate herself from aspects of the Biden agenda? Maybe, you know, move the ball, put an emphasis on other things. How does she do that and still be loyal to the fact that she worked with Joe Biden?”
RICE: “Well, Andrea, first of all, it’s been barely over three weeks —“
Mitchell: “Right.”
RICE: “— since she has been the presumptive Democratic nominee. She’s done an extraordinary job picking a first class running mate, barnstorming the country, generating enthusiasm, making people understand that this is an exciting election about the future and one that can be waged on the basis of optimism and joy rather than fear, hatred, and division. She will, as she has said, outline aspects of her economic policy later this week. But I think it’s very important to remember that this has been the Biden-Harris agenda. Kamala Harris has been an integral architect and executor of the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration. And when you talk about the important business that she is committed to continuing and finishing, things like paid family leave, making permanent the child tax credit, making child care more affordable, raising the minimum wage, respecting workers, and — and helping to strengthen unions, these are elements of — of a policy framework that she devised as part of — a key part of the Biden Administration and is keen to see through to the finish line. So there will be important, as there should be, aspects of continuity in — in many policy areas. But of course, the vice president will outline her vision and — and where she sees opportunities to — to advance their collective agenda, the Biden-Harris collective agenda, and take it further forward. I think we all look forward to hearing that. But this notion that she somehow doesn’t deserve credit for and isn’t part of and wasn’t an integral architect of the Biden-Harris Administration agenda is — is not only false, it’s — it’s frankly somewhat bizarre and offensive.”