Vice President Kamala Harris has reversed her previous stance on banning plastic straws, a change in her position as she moves to reinventing herself.
Vice President Kamala Harris is walking back her previous stance on banning plastic straws, a position she held during her 2020 presidential campaign. On Thursday, her campaign clarified that she no longer supports such a ban, marking a shift on yet another progressive issue where her stance has evolved.
Plastic straw bans have been adopted by many parts of the country, including major cities like Seattle, as concerns over plastic pollution in oceans and waterways have grown. During a 2019 CNN town hall, Harris voiced her support for a ban, stating, "We do need to ban the plastic straws," while acknowledging the challenges of eco-friendly alternatives like paper straws.
However, her current campaign says that banning plastic straws is no longer her priority. "She doesn't support banning plastic straws," a campaign official said, emphasizing her role in casting the tie-breaking vote for significant climate change legislation and her commitment to expanding clean energy efforts.
This reversal comes as Harris increasingly centers herself politically ahead of the 2024 election. While former President Trump’s campaign has used her past support for straw bans to paint her as a “San Francisco liberal,” Harris appears focused on climate legislation with broader appeal rather than specific progressive policies like plastic bans.
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