With midterm elections less than a month away, Vice President Kamala Harris can't stress enough how important it is for voters to get out and make their voices heard on November 8.
In an exclusive interview with the Big Tigger Morning Show on Audacy's V-103 in Atlanta, the vice president said the proof is in the pudding when it comes to the impact voters have on decisions across the country.
"Let's just break it down," she said. "Folks stood in line in 2020 and said 'I want a tax cut for the expense of raising my children,' and got up to $8,000 for the cost of school supplies and medicine and food. Folks stood in line and said 'I want billions more dollars to go to [Historically Black Colleges and Universities],' of which I am a proud graduate, and over $5 billion we have put into HBCU. Folks stood in line and said 'Deal with the student loan debt because it is slowing down my ability to start a family or buy a home or even pay my rent,' and so we passed student loan debt relief of $10,000 -- and if you are a Pell Grant recipient, $20,000 -- which will allow a quarter of all Black borrowers to have their entire debt forgiven."
"This is what people did when they stood in line in 2020. They made this happen because they took the time to vote. You've got to do the same thing this time because it matters," Harris added.
One of the biggest issues in front of voters this year is legislation that protects their right to vote. The vice president said you need not look past 2020 to understand why it is such an important issue.
"You know one of the things that happened? Everybody stood in line for hours and then you know what happened? Some people saw how folks were voting at record numbers and then immediately after that election, started passing laws saying 'Oh no, you can't give food and water to people standing in line to vote,' started passing laws trying to ban drop boxes, started passing laws trying to get rid of early voting -- because it scared them that the people were voting," she said. "(That's why) we need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act."
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would increase the power of the federal government to block discriminatory election rules.
"One of the things we need to do is have our Senate have enough members... so that we can have enough votes in the Senate so the president can sign into law the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to put back in the protections to protect the people and their ability to vote," Harris said. "This is on the line."
There are also big issues for families on the ballots in the upcoming election.
"The work that we need to do to protect a woman's right to make decisions about her own body, with her pastor, with her priest, but not having her government tell her what to do," Harris said. "We still need to bring down the cost of childcare, which our administration intends to do by saying working people shouldn't pay more than seven percent of their income in childcare."
"There is so many things that we need to do, and we need to stop the madness around what other folks are trying to do," she added. "So, it's both about what we know we can do to make life better but it's also to stop some of the bad things from happening."
For people who don't feel like their vote matters, Harris said just look at President Joe Biden's recent move on marijuana reform and pardoning thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession in violation of federal law.
"Listen, I feel very strongly -- no one should have to go to jail for smoking weed. Period. I'll say it again: no one should have to go to jail for smoking weed," she said. "But that was another thing people stood in line for, and said 'That's what we want, that's the perspective that we believe in, we know what we've seen in terms of over-incarceration on that issue.' But people voted saying these are the things we want and that's why these things happened, because people said they want a president and a vice president who takes this kind of approach."
Gun control is another issue voters have helped strengthen, even if there's more work to be done, Harris said.
"The president signed into law the first time in decades strengthening background checks. And by the way, I believe in the Second Amendment; I believe people have a constitutional right. But the point is, let's be reasonable about it. A background check is basically just saying, you know, we do have a public interest in making sure that dangerous people can't buy weapons that can kill you," she said. "It's reasonable to say we need to reestablish the assault weapons ban because those are weapons of war that kill a lot of people quickly, and we don't want those weapons in our neighborhoods, we don't want them on our streets. But to be able to get it done, means we need to have a Congress who has the courage to act."
The vice president said it's not about banning all guns, but about understanding the difference between a "weapon of war" and a handgun.
"This is where voting matters because it's people who hold elected office who actually hold the key to whether or not we have reasonable laws," she said. "I cannot stress enough, folks remembering the power of people. It's your power. It's your power. You going to vote is like putting in your order, 'This is what I want.' But if you don't vote, your order ain't in."
Harris' birthday is coming up on October 20, and she would like nothing more than for citizens to carry out their civic duties.
"My wish is that you vote. Honestly, that would be the best. If you just vote. Early voting starts next week Monday, which is the 17th. My birthday is on the 20th, so that would be a birthday gift to me," she said with a laugh. "Please do get out and vote. There's so much at stake."
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