JOINING ME AND LETTING US GO DEEPER INTO THE ISSUES.
DEEPER INTO THE ISSUES.
>>> JOINING ME IS AIANAYANNA
PRESSLY.
CONGRESSWOMAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS RACE A
BIT.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THESE
REMARKABLE WOMEN WE’VE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT.
IF JOE BIDEN WERE ASKING YOUR
ADVICE RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU
TELL HIM?
>> WELL, I THINK IT’S ABOUT
LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE HAVE MADE
IT CLEAR THEY’RE LOOKING FOR
LEADERSHIP AT THE IT TOP OF THE
TICKET, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH JOE
BIDEN THAT WILL LEAVE WITH A
STRENGTH OF CONVICTION,
PRIORITIZE RACIAL JUSTICE, AND
ALSO, AGAIN, BE CONNECTED TO THE
PEOPLE.
I ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH THE
PREVIOUS STATEMENTS IN TERMS OF
THEIR PROXIMITY, THEIR
EXPERIENCE AND THEIR TRACK
RECORD.
>> TALK TO ME ABOUT THE IDEA
THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED THE
VICE PRESIDENT WHETHER HE WILL
PICK AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN.
HE SAYS THERE’S FOUR ON THE
SHORT LIST.
IN YOUR CASE, DURING THE
PRIMARIES, YOU SUPPORTED
ELIZABETH WARREN, WHO SPEAKS TO
A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC ISSUES
WHICH ARE VERY CLOSE TO WHAT YOU
TALK ABOUT.
HOW DOES THAT WORK INTO THIS FOR
YOU?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, POLICY IS MY
LOVE LANGUAGE, ONE OF THE KEY
REASONS I SUPPORTED SENATOR
WARREN IS SHE HAS CENTERED A
RACIAL JUSTICE LENS IN HER
POLICIES.
IT WAS DONE THROUGH LAW MAKING.
SO I THINK IT MAKES THE POINT
THAT RACIAL JUSTICE MUST BE
CENTRAL IN THIS WHITE HOUSE AGENDA, THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA.
AGENDA, THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA.
WE HAVE TO BE STRIDENT TO BE BE
WE WOULD DO WELL TO HAVE ANY OF
THEM.
>> POLICY BEING YOUR LOVE
LANGUAGE, LET’S TALK ABOUT
POLICY OR THE POLICY THAT HAS
NOT PASSED THE SENATE AS IT
RELATES TO EVICTIONS.
IN YOUR HOME STATE OF
MASSACHUSETTS, BLACK RENTERS ARE
2 1/2 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE
AN EVICTION FILED AGAINST THEM.
BLACK WOMEN THREE TIMES AS
LIKELY, BY THE WAY, THAT ARE
ULTIMATELY DISMISS, BUT REMAIN A
STAIN ON THEIR CREDIT REPORT,
AND 80% OF BOTHEN EVICTION CASES
ARE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED BY THE
MORATORIUM ARE IN NEIGHBORHOODS
OF COLOR.
THIS STORM HAS HIT PEOPLE OF
COLOR IN THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT
TO BECOME A TSUNAMI.
PRIOR TO COVID THERE WERE 3.7
MILLION EVICTIONS FILED A YEAR.
ONCE I JOINED CONGRESS, WE FOUND
OURSELF IN THE MIDST OF A
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, AND
WE KNEW THAT MANY WERE ON THE
PRECIPICE OF FACING EVICTION
THEN.
THE AVERAGE FAMILY DOES NOT EVEN
HAVE $400 OF SAVINGS TO WEATHER
A DISRUPTIVE LIFE EVENT.
THIS WAS ALREADY A CRISIS.
THIS WAS THE NUMBER ONE
CONSTITUENT CALL I RECEIVED AS A
CITY COUNCILLOR AND AS A
FRESHMAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
IT’S WHY SINCE MARCH I’VE BEEN
CALLING FOR A MORATORIUM ON
EVICTIONSES AND FORECLOSURES.
THE CANCELLATION OF RENT AND
MORTGAGES.
MIGHT I ADD THAT NOT ONLY IS
THIS A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE
BECAUSE OF THE DISPROPORTIONATE
IMPACT, BUT THIS IS A PUBLIC
HEALTH ISSUE, EVICTION TSUNAMI
DOES NOT ALLOW US TO SLOW THE
RATE OF TRANSMISSION.
THIS IS A MATTER OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH, HOUSING AND ECONOMIC AND
RACIAL JUSTICE.
IN THIS CONGRESS MOSTUST MEET TH
SCOPE OF THIS.
THAT’S WHY I JOIN WITH KAMALA
HARRIS AND ROSA DELORA.
THAT’S WHAT THE FAMILIES NEED IS
A LIFELINE.
IT GUARANTIES TEETH LEGAL
REPRESENTATION FOR THOSE
FAMILIES FACING EVICTION.
ALSO IT DOES ADDRESS -- MITIGATE
THE NEGATIVE MARKS ON THEIR
CREDIT REPORT.
IT ALSO REQUIRES A COLLECTION OF
DATA NAUERTLY. OUR GOP-LED
SENATE, THEY ARE EITHER CLUE
HIS, CALLOUS OUR DISCONNECTED.
THAT WAS TRUE BEFORE COVID, IT’S
ESPECIALLY TRUE NOW.
THAT’S WHY WE NEED TO EXTEND
BENEFITS, NOT -- WE NEED AN
EVICTION AND FORECLOSURE
MORATORIUM SO UP WE HAVE ANOTHER
LAYER OF TENANT PROTECTIONS.
>> I’VE SET UP A DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE
PEOPLE WAKING UP THIS MORNING
WHO ARE TRULY ANXIOUS AND
SCARED, NOT JUST ABOUT THEIR