Harman belongs to a variety of groups that represent the centrist and conservative sides of the Democratic Party. She is a senior member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of Democrats that support fiscal restraint. She is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition. During the 110th Congress, Harman voted with her party 96.7 percent of the time, which is high compared to previous sessions.
In 2005, the FBI opened an investigation into whether Harman made promises to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in exchange for support to become the House Intelligence Committee chair. The investigation slowed down in 2006 and Harman was never charged with wrongdoing.
Harman co-sponsored a 2009 bill on health care that provides tax subsidies for purchasing health coverage and eliminates employer-sponsored plans. But the proposal isn't likely to gain the support of the Democratic leadership.
Intelligence and Homeland Security
Shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Harman emerged as an early supporter of a bill creating a cabinet-level Homeland Security Deparment, which eventually brought dozens of dispersed agencies under a single umbrella.
But during the George W. Bush years, Harman was also critical of various intelligence agencies for not sharing information quickly enough. In 2004, Harman crafted a bill that overhauled the U.S. national intelligence apparatus, creating the new position of director of national intelligence to oversee several agencies.
In 2005, Harman was among a handful of congressional members accused of being complicit in the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program. Harman admitted she had been briefed about the program in 2003, regarding it as "essential to national security" despite concerns the program was going beyond targeting suspected Al Qaeda members.
The California Democrat was also among the few members of Congress who was briefed in 2003 on harsh interrogations of terrorist suspects by the CIA. Harman said she voiced concern over the tapes once learning about them, and requested that the CIA preserve them. In December 2007, CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledged the agency destroyed the tapes. The next month, Harman's office declassified a letter she wrote to the agency dated Feb. 10, 2003, claiming destruction of the tapes "would reflect badly on the Agency."
Harman supported a 2008 amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that required special warrants and court approvals for eavesdropping operations and provided some measure of protection for telecommunications companies involved in providing the government information after Sept. 11.
In January 2009, Harman re-introduced a bill, H.R. 374, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Obama issued an executive order to close the facility later that month.
Harman has repeatedly introduced a proposal that requires the Department of Homeland Security to share intelligence with state and local law enforcement agencies. The move would place information about threats in the hands of "first preventers" who Harman feels were unnecessarily denied access to crucial information during the Bush administration. The latest version of Harman's proposal cleared a House vote in February 2009, but the Senate hasn't yet taken it up.
The Economy
Harman reluctantly voted for both versions of the $700 billion financial bailout bill in 2008, saying before the initial House vote that failed, "I've gone from a 'Hell, no' to 'Probably yes.'"
The California Democrat said she was concerned about government spending months into the Obama presidency, criticizing the proposed budget that projects a $1.75 trillion deficit for 2009.
In February 2009, Harman supported Obama's economic stimulus package, though he has questioned whether the $116 billion in payroll tax cuts would help spur consumer spending.
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