Biden-Harris will restore competence, character

On Wednesday night, 100 years and one day after the ratification of the 19th Amendment that guaranteed white women the right to vote, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for vice president of the United States.

As a ticket, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will restore competence, compassion and character to the White House. There is no doubt Kamala Harris could take over as commander in chief at any time if needed.

As a United States senator from California, she represents the most populous state in the union — one with a complex and diverse economy. In the Senate, she serves on the intelligence and judiciary committees — critical committees given the threats the United States is facing at home and abroad.

Whether it is going toe-to-toe with Jeff Sessions or Brett Kavanaugh in Senate hearings, or holding the Trump administration’s feet to the fire over racial justice, Sen. Harris has proven time and again that she is not afraid to ask the hard questions and get answers.

As vice president, she will be a strong voice in the Oval Office as the BidenHarris administration works to dismantle systemic racism and make the United States a more just and equitable country for all its residents.

In the Senate, Harris has been a leader highlighting the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color — and introduced legislation to address these disparities. Harris’ legislation would establish a team of policy experts, regional leaders and federal officials to develop policy and funding prescriptions based on demographic data to combat issues facing minority and underserved communities.

When Sen. Harris was attorney general of California, she ran one of the largest legal operations in the world. She beat the big banks and cracked down on mortgage fraud. As attorney general, she sued corporations like Chevron and BP for damaging the environment, and won. And, she held corporations accountable for their role in exposing Californians to excessive levels of pollutants. She fought the ban on gay marriage and helped change the law.

She is a smart, dedicated and fearless public servant. She is a champion for the underdog, a fierce protector of women’s rights and a tireless advocate for equality for all.

Kamala is exactly the kind of vice president our country needs right now. We need a leader who will unite us, not divide us. We need a ticket who will stand up and fight for all Americans — regardless of who they are, who they love or where they come from — not just the top 1 percent.

Make no mistake, change of historic proportions is never easy. It took 117 years from Seneca Falls to the Voting Rights Act.

As only the third woman — and first woman of color — to be a part of a national Democratic ticket, it is an unfortunate and predictable likelihood that Sen. Harris’ candidacy will be met with an array of double standards like questioning her “likability” or her ambition. That is misogyny.

Similarly, it took exactly one day for Sen. Harris to become the target of Republican operatives “birtherism” and for her eligibility to serve to be questioned. Democrats, Republicans and people of good will across this nation must call out these attacks for exactly what they are: thinly veiled racism.

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are ready to lead our nation and begin the work of rebuilding the United States at home and around the world. On Wednesday night, my daughters and I can’t wait to watch Kamala Harris make history — again — as she becomes the first Black woman and first AsianAmerican woman on a major party’s presidential ticket.

And when Sen. Harris delivers that speech Wednesday night, she’ll serve as a beacon of hope and show a new generation of young girls that no dream is ever out of reach.