US Vice President Kamala Harris announced plans to eliminate college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president, which aims to expand job opportunities for individuals without a four-year degree. 

Harris is the Democratic party’s presidential nominee against the Republicans’ former President Donald Trump.

“As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs to increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree,” Harris said during a speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, which would give opportunities for people with apprenticeships and those who had joined technical programs.

According to 2023 data from the US Census Bureau, over 62% of Americans aged 25 or older do not hold a bachelor’s degree. In the 2020 elections, these Americans accounted for three out of five voters. Harris stressed the importance of acknowledging individuals’ skills, regardless of their educational background, and urged the private sector to follow suit.

A survey conducted earlier this year by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation revealed skepticism among many Americans about the value and cost of higher education. More than half of US adults who have either never enrolled in college or dropped out cited the cost as a major factor preventing them from pursuing higher education.

Harris’ economic proposals, including middle-class tax cuts and a promise to remove taxes on tips, are part of a broader strategy that sets her apart from Trump on domestic issues, as the latter focuses on cutting taxes for overtime pay.

During Harris’ speech, protesters interrupted to oppose US support for the Israeli occupation’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis. In response, Harris reiterated her call for a ceasefire and a deal on the captives, stating, “Now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire.”

Converging on support for ‘Israel’

While Harris tries to set herself apart from Trump on domestic issues, it was made clear during their presidential debate on ABC that whether the White House is painted Red or Blue, the US stance on the Israeli occupation will remain unwavering.

A report by The Intercept underlined that while bickering about domestic policies, saying they would implement policies opposite of each other on certain issues, both candidates were united in their stance that the Israeli genocide in Gaza and aggressions on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran should continue, taking it upon themselves to boast, similarly, about how each would dish out more aid to the Israeli occupation.

Harris dedicated quite a bit of the debate stressing how she was committed to “Israel’s” “self-defense“. This is not new at all. She has been making it clear since the start of her campaign, and even during her tenure as vice president, that the occupation’s security is of paramount importance for the United States.

This is quite disappointing for democratic electors, as many of them advocate for the cessation of hostilities in Gaza and an end to regional Israeli aggression. This means that this demand of theirs will not be met, and while Harris stressed that the war “must end […] immediately” and stated how “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” she did not back down from giving “Israel” the tools it needs to continue its war.