Vice President Kamala Harris sets a new record

Wednesday

That underlines the deeply divided, divisive nature of

modern nations

politics and cast her 32nd decisive vote in the Senate, the most in the history of the Chamber

the most decisive votes in Senate history

.

The vote, her 32nd since taking office, brought Loren Ailkhan’s nomination to the US District Court in Washington, DC.

Harris takes the groundbreaking record by surpassing John C. Calhoun, who served under Presidents John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson from 1825 to 1832, when the Senate was less than half its current size. Calhoun was one of the fiercest defenders of slavery of his day.

So happy she outdid him, said Donna Brazile, a Harris ally and former leader of the Democratic National Committee.

Harris has suffered from it

low poll numbers the lowest poll numbers in recent history

and has failed to enthuse Democratic activists who had hoped she would lead the next generation of her parties once President Biden, 8 years old

1

leaves the political scene.

But whatever happens with her future career, she is now assured of several places in the American history books. Not only does she top the tiebreakers, but she is also the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first Indian-American person to hold nationally elected office. Her husband Douglas Emhoff is the first Jewish person in a first or second family and the first man to fulfill such a role.

Joel Goldstein, a law professor who has written extensively on the history of the vice president, noted that Calhoun and others who held the office in earlier years spent most of their time presiding over the Senate, something that modern vice presidents only do so when necessary to cut ties or draw attention to important voices.

It is even more symbolic that the first woman ever elected to national office and the first Black person to serve as vice president, who has devoted much of her vice presidential energy to making America more inclusive of traditionally marginalized groups, is a record would take from John C. Calhoun, a slave owner and a leading proponent of slavery and white supremacy,” he said.

Harris’ ability to cut so many ties is in many ways an accident of history, the result of Democrats’ extremely limited grip on the Senate.

The Senate was tied 50-50 during Harris’ first two years in office, with Harris giving Democrats the majority that allowed them to lead committees and set the agenda. Democrats gained a seat in the 2022 midterm elections, giving the party a small boost and slowing the pace of Harris’ equalization.

Three Senators Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), Angus S. King, Jr. (Maine), Bern

ard

Sanders (Vt.) are independents who are aligned with Democrats.

The rift between the parties comes at a time of great partisanship

Partisanship in the Senate has been at a modern high for more than a decade. The minority party is more likely to vote as a unified bloc, and in opposition to routine issues, than in previous eras. Many of Harris’ votes were aimed at cutting procedural ties or promoting Biden’s nominees to administration posts that might

filled, over

with bipartisan support in earlier days.

Still, Harris’ ability to cut ties has been important to her parties’ legislative agenda. She cast decisive votes to advance the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill known as the American Rescue Plan in 2021 and the $700 billion Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature climate bill.

The role has thrust Harris into the spotlight, but it has also limited her ability to travel, as she has sometimes had to stay near Washington in case the Senate became tied. Presiding over the Senate and casting equal votes are among the few vice presidential functions given in the Constitution, only partially shaping a job that Harris and many of her predecessors have struggled to define.

Harris aides note that her unique status means she makes history with almost every act of office, whether she is visiting world leaders or giving speeches. In May, for example, she became the first woman to deliver the commencement address at West Point, an honor routinely bestowed on presidents, vice presidents and military leaders who have previously been male.

Despite their routine nature, a White House official said Harris is eager to use such moments to highlight the administration’s agenda, including moments when she has predicted she would lose votes to advance abortion and voting rights laws.