Fact-checking Kamala Harris’s first campaign interview
BBC Verify looks into claims the vice-president made on CNN about fracking, child poverty and green jobs.
Claim 1: Fracking Ban
Initially, Kamala Harris advocated for banning fracking in 2019. However, in 2020, she clarified that Joe Biden's policy would not include a fracking ban, and her position aligned with his.
In her recent CNN interview, Harris reiterated her commitment to Biden's policy of not banning fracking. Notably, she did not explicitly state whether her personal views on fracking had changed since 2019.
Claim 2: Child Poverty Reduction
Harris claimed that extending the child tax credit reduced child poverty by over 50% during the first year of the Biden administration.
While the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) shows a 46% decline in child poverty between 2020 and 2021, this reduction was temporary. After the enhanced child tax credit expired, the child poverty rate rose again, reaching 12.4% in 2022.
Claim 3: Clean Energy Jobs
Harris stated that the Biden administration has created over 300,000 new clean energy jobs.
This claim is supported by a report from Climate Power, which estimated that over 334,565 new clean energy jobs have been announced or advanced since August 2022, following the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act.
However, not all these jobs have been filled, and it's challenging to solely attribute the increase to the Inflation Reduction Act, as clean energy is a growing industry worldwide. Other organizations, such as E2, estimate a lower number of new clean energy jobs created or announced since the Act's implementation.
Initially, Kamala Harris advocated for banning fracking in 2019. However, in 2020, she clarified that Joe Biden's policy would not include a fracking ban, and her position aligned with his.
In her recent CNN interview, Harris reiterated her commitment to Biden's policy of not banning fracking. Notably, she did not explicitly state whether her personal views on fracking had changed since 2019.
Claim 2: Child Poverty Reduction
Harris claimed that extending the child tax credit reduced child poverty by over 50% during the first year of the Biden administration.
While the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) shows a 46% decline in child poverty between 2020 and 2021, this reduction was temporary. After the enhanced child tax credit expired, the child poverty rate rose again, reaching 12.4% in 2022.
Claim 3: Clean Energy Jobs
Harris stated that the Biden administration has created over 300,000 new clean energy jobs.
This claim is supported by a report from Climate Power, which estimated that over 334,565 new clean energy jobs have been announced or advanced since August 2022, following the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act.
However, not all these jobs have been filled, and it's challenging to solely attribute the increase to the Inflation Reduction Act, as clean energy is a growing industry worldwide. Other organizations, such as E2, estimate a lower number of new clean energy jobs created or announced since the Act's implementation.