Harris was a partisan in the Senate. Now she and Biden need Republican friends

WASHINGTON — During four years in the Senate, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris used high-profile, partisan moments to propel her political career, grilling President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries over hardline immigration policies and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh over abortion rights and sexual assault allegations ahead of his 2018 confirmation.

But as she and President-elect Joe Biden prepare to take office next month, their ability to bridge such rifts with Senate Republicans will determine whether they can pass much of their agenda — not least, bold policies to expand health care access, revitalize the economy and combat climate change — and get approval of Biden’s appointees.

While Democrats have a majority in the House, Republicans will either retain control of the Senate with as many as 52 votes or form a potent 50-member minority, depending on the results of two Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia. Biden and