Reporter on VP Harris’s Border “Root Causes” Assignment: What Has She Been Doing? KJP: “I Don’t Have Anything to Lay Out Specifically”

On 12/20/2022, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about Vice President Kamala Harris’s “root causes” of migration assignment, given the anticipated border influx. “The President tasked the Vice President with studying and working on the root causes of some of these issues. I’m wondering if there’s any update from this side of the White House on what she’s been doing and what she will continue to do as we’re expecting influx at the border?” the reporter asked. KJP offered generic praise for Harris’s partnership without providing specifics. “The President appreciates the partnership that he has with the Vice President… That has been her charge to work in a diplomatic way on finding the root causes. I don’t have anything to lay out specifically on what that work looks like, but again, we appreciate her partnership.”

The Harris Root Causes Assignment

Vice President Harris had been tasked with addressing migration “root causes” early in the Biden administration:

Assigned March 2021 — Shortly after inauguration.

Northern Triangle focus — Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador.

Broader Central America — Including Mexico, other countries.

Root causes approach — Addressing conditions driving migration.

Diplomatic emphasis — Not direct border management.

Private investment — Partnerships with companies.

Government coordination — With regional governments.

The assignment had been politically significant. Harris was given a major policy portfolio that would require substantial engagement and produce measurable outcomes. Her performance on this assignment would affect her political standing and future prospects.

The Political Challenge of Root Causes

The “root causes” framing had specific political challenges:

Long-term nature — Results would take years.

Indirect impact — On actual border numbers.

Difficult to measure — Success metrics were unclear.

Not popular messaging — Americans wanted border action.

Republican criticism — Claiming Harris was deflecting from border.

Media skepticism — About effectiveness.

These challenges made Harris’s assignment politically difficult from the start. “Root causes” work couldn’t produce the immediate visible outcomes that border crises required. As border encounters increased, Harris’s assignment became politically awkward.

The Reporter’s Framing

The reporter’s question was pointed. “I’m wondering if there’s any update from this side of the White House on what she’s been doing and what she will continue to do as we’re expecting influx at the border?” the reporter asked.

The question had several implications:

“Any update” — Asked for current information.

“This side of the White House” — Acknowledged division between VP and WH offices.

“What she’s been doing” — Retrospective accountability.

“What she will continue to do” — Forward-looking commitment.

“As we’re expecting influx” — Tied to current crisis.

The question essentially asked: as border crises continued, what was Harris actually contributing? Was the root causes work producing results that affected current border dynamics?

The Non-Answer

KJP’s response didn’t address Harris’s specific work. “Well, as you know, the President appreciates the partnership that he has with the Vice President,” KJP said.

“Appreciates the partnership” was:

Generic praise — Without specifics.

Political messaging — About relationship.

No substantive content — About work.

Standard framing — Used across topics.

Deflection technique — From specific question.

The “appreciates the partnership” framing was the standard administration language about Harris. It appeared in many briefings when Harris’s work was questioned. Rather than defending specific accomplishments, the framing emphasized the working relationship.

”That Has Been Her Charge”

KJP confirmed the assignment. “You’re right. That has been her charge to work in a diplomatic way on finding the root causes,” KJP said.

This confirmation was informative:

“Has been her charge” — Confirming the assignment continued.

“In a diplomatic way” — Process rather than outcomes.

“Finding the root causes” — Identifying rather than solving.

Ongoing nature — Not finished.

Diplomatic framing — Emphasizing international work.

But these confirmations didn’t address effectiveness. An assignment can continue without producing results. Diplomatic work can proceed without affecting real-world outcomes. The framing acknowledged Harris was doing the work without claiming the work had accomplished much.

”I Don’t Have Anything to Lay Out Specifically”

KJP admitted a lack of specifics. “I don’t have anything to lay out specifically on what that work looks like,” KJP said.

This admission was striking:

Press Secretary’s job — Included communicating administration work.

Major VP assignment — Should have had briefing content.

Important policy area — Deserving detailed communication.

Political sensitivity — Required careful handling.

Information gap — Between WH and VP operations.

For the Press Secretary to have “nothing to lay out specifically” about the Vice President’s primary policy assignment suggested:

Coordination problems — Between offices.

Limited information sharing — Between VP and WH teams.

Few specific accomplishments — To communicate.

Political sensitivity — About publicizing specifics.

Defensive messaging — Rather than proactive.

Any of these interpretations reflected poorly on administration organization.

”Refer You to Her Office”

KJP deflected to Harris’s office. “I would probably refer you to her office on anything specific,” KJP said.

The referral had specific features:

“Probably” — Tentative language.

“Her office” — Separate from WH office.

“Anything specific” — Acknowledging gap in own knowledge.

Office separation — Between VP and WH communications.

Accountability diffusion — Across separate operations.

This was typical of Biden-Harris communications. The Vice President’s office operated somewhat independently of the White House press operation. Questions about Harris’s work often required separate inquiries to her office, creating friction for reporters and reduced coherence in administration messaging.

The VP Accountability Challenge

The broader challenge was Harris’s accountability for her assignment:

Assigned by President — For major initiative.

Judged on outcomes — Border numbers, Central American conditions.

Border numbers worse — Throughout tenure.

Political positioning — Affected by assignment.

2024 implications — For potential succession.

Harris’s handling of the root causes assignment had implications for her 2024 positioning. If she was succeeding, she could claim accomplishments. If she was struggling, her prospects would be affected.

By late 2022, the border situation had not improved. Central American migration had continued at high levels. Harris’s work hadn’t produced visible changes in migration patterns. These facts made her political positioning on the assignment difficult.

The “Appreciation” Framing

KJP’s repeated use of “appreciates the partnership” was a political framing that served specific purposes:

Maintained unity — Between President and VP publicly.

Avoided criticism — Of Harris publicly.

Deflected specifics — To relationship.

Protected VP’s position — From administration critique.

Political optics — Showing continued support.

The framing couldn’t be sustained forever. Eventually, Harris would need specific accomplishments to discuss or political support would erode. But in late 2022, the administration was maintaining public “appreciation” rather than engaging with Harris’s effectiveness.

The Border Crisis Context

The question came in context of imminent border crisis:

Title 42 ending — Imminently.

El Paso emergency — Declared.

Expected surge — In migrant volumes.

Political pressure — On administration.

Harris assignment — Originally to prevent such surges.

If Harris’s root causes work had been effective, the approaching crisis would have been less severe. The fact that a major migrant surge was anticipated meant Harris’s work hadn’t produced the preventive effects originally hoped for.

Reporters asking about Harris in this context were testing whether her assignment had delivered what was promised. KJP’s non-answer effectively acknowledged that specific accomplishments couldn’t be claimed.

The Harris Office Coordination

KJP’s deferral to Harris’s office revealed:

Separate press operations — WH and VP.

Different messaging — On Harris’s work.

Coordination challenges — Between offices.

Different priorities — In communications.

Potential inconsistencies — Between messages.

The separation had been observed throughout the Biden-Harris administration. Unlike some prior White House-VP office relationships, the Biden team and Harris team often seemed to operate somewhat independently in communications. This created reporting challenges and potential message inconsistency.

The 2024 Implications

Harris’s handling of the root causes assignment had 2024 implications:

If Biden didn’t run — Harris would be potential nominee.

If Biden ran — Harris’s record would affect ticket.

If Harris challenged — Her record would be scrutinized.

Accomplishment framing — Would be needed.

Failure framing — Would damage prospects.

By late 2022, concerns about Harris’s political viability had grown. Her polling had been weak. Her communication had faced criticism. Her staff turnover had been high. Her signature root causes assignment hadn’t produced clear successes. These factors made 2024 positioning difficult.

The administration’s public “appreciation” framing was partly about maintaining Harris’s political viability. Specific criticisms would have damaged her prospects. But the framing couldn’t substitute for actual accomplishments when those were needed.

The Substantive Root Causes Work

Despite KJP’s inability to detail specifics, Harris had been conducting various activities:

Meetings with Central American leaders — Multiple occasions.

Private sector partnerships — Announced various deals.

Investment commitments — Billions pledged.

Policy initiatives — Various programs.

Diplomatic engagement — At various levels.

These activities had substantive content. But their impact on border numbers had been limited. Root causes work by definition took years. Short-term border pressure couldn’t be addressed through long-term development work.

The gap between Harris’s activities and their impact on current border dynamics was inherent to the assignment’s design. Harris couldn’t be expected to stop border surges through diplomatic root causes work. But political accountability for the assignment expected results, not process.

Key Takeaways

• A reporter asked KJP about VP Harris’s “root causes” of migration assignment given anticipated border influx.
• KJP offered generic praise: “The President appreciates the partnership that he has with the Vice President.”
• She confirmed Harris’s “charge to work in a diplomatic way on finding the root causes.”
• KJP admitted: “I don’t have anything to lay out specifically on what that work looks like.”
• She referred the reporter to Harris’s office: “I would probably refer you to her office on anything specific.”
• The lack of specifics from the Press Secretary on the Vice President’s major policy assignment was notable.
• The exchange reflected the broader challenge of Harris’s “root causes” assignment — long-term work that couldn’t produce short-term results matching border crisis timing.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

• The President tasked the Vice President with studying and working on the root causes of some of these issues.
• I’m wondering if there’s any update from this side of the White House on what she’s been doing.
• What she will continue to do as we’re expecting influx at the border.
• The President appreciates the partnership that he has with the Vice President.
• That has been her charge to work in a diplomatic way on finding the root causes.
• I don’t have anything to lay out specifically on what that work looks like, but again, we appreciate her partnership.

Full transcript: 119 words transcribed via Whisper AI.