Sen. Kamala Harris got into a fiery exchange with Joe Biden during Thursday’s Democratic debate concerning recent comments he made about working with segregationists.
“I do not believe you are racist,” Harris told the former vice president.
“But I also believe, and it is personal — it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.”
Harris continued: “It is not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing,” she added, revealing that she was part of the second class to integrate her public school in California growing up and was bused to school.
The Golden State lawmaker was referencing Biden’s statements at a New York City fundraiser earlier this month when he recalled how he worked with Democratic Sens. James Eastland and Herman Talmadge, who were known segregationists, in the 1970s.
Numerous lawmakers have called Biden out for the statement, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and fellow 2020 hopeful Sen. Cory Booker.
Biden snapped back, claiming Harris was making a “mischaracterization of my position across the board.”
“I did not praise racists,” he said. “That is not true. No. 1. No. 2 — if we want to have this campaign litigated on who supports civil rights and whether I did or not. I’m happy to do that.”
To bolster his defense, he blasted Harris for her work as a prosecutor and touted his job in President Obama’s White House.
“I left a good law firm to become a public defender when in fact, when in fact my city was in flames because of the assassination of Dr. King,” Biden said.
“As the vice president of the United States, I worked with a man who, in fact we worked very hard, to see to it that we dealt with these issues in a major, major way.”
The pair then sparred over busing — with Harris trying to bait Biden into agreeing he was “wrong to oppose busing in America, then.”
“I did not oppose busing in America. What I opposed is busing ordered by the Department of Education, that’s what I opposed..,” he responded.
Harris went on to say there was “a failure of states to integrate public schools in America.”
“I was part of the second class to integrate Berkeley California public schools almost two decades after Brown v. Board of Education,” she said.
“Because your city council made that decision,” Biden replied, adding that he has fought for civil rights for African Americans and the LGBT community.
Harris said the federal government must step in when there is a failure by the states, citing the Voting Rights Act and the Equal Rights Amendment.
“I supported the ERA from the very beginning,” Biden shot back. “I’m the guy who extended the Voting Rights Act for 25 years … Anyway, my time’s up.”
Additional reporting by Tamar Lapin