Karen Bass, the latest name on Joe Biden’s list of rumored running-mate candidates, would bring expertise in key policy areas pushed to the forefront of national politics: race issues, policing matters, and healthcare.
Although she was previously not on the radar of many campaign watchers theorizing who may join the former vice president on the Democratic ticket, CBS reported Tuesday that Bass is undergoing the vetting process, citing unnamed individuals familiar with the vetting.
The 66-year-old congresswoman is the head of the Congressional Black Caucus and is in her fifth term representing a district in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Congress, she was the first black female speaker of the California State Assembly.
She subtly confirmed that she is being considered on Tuesday.
“Out of respect for the campaign, if there’s any questions in that regard, I think they should be directed there,” she said when asked on MSNBC Tuesday morning about whether she would accept becoming the running mate if offered, adding that her “sole focus is on the next 48 hours” and advancing police reform legislation through Congress.
With national political attention and focus directed at race relations and policing in the wake of George Floyd, a black man, dying in Minneapolis after being held under the knee of a white officer, Bass has been a leader in crafting House Democrats’ sweeping police reform legislation.
The House bill would ban the use of chokeholds and the use of no-knock warrants, make it easier to prosecute police officers for misconduct, and mandate policies to end racial profiling. A Republican-backed Senate police reform bill doesn’t include such measures.
“I’m inclined to push the envelope as far as we can because we have a moment now,” Bass said about the proposals on a recent CBS podcast.
But despite backing such sweeping changes, Bass is unlikely to offend Biden’s left-of-center sensibilities. She brushed off calls from the far Left to defund or eliminate police departments and direct government resources to other services.
“I think it can be used as a distraction, and that’s my concern,” Bass said earlier this month about calls to defund police, adding that the intent of the catchphrase “is to address the root causes of crime.”
Her legislatively focused leadership could appeal to Biden, who often fondly recalls being able to work across the aisle to pass major legislation during his 36 years in the Senate, representing Delaware.
Bass also has some experience relevant to giving the Biden ticket credibility amid the coronavirus pandemic. She is a former nurse and physician assistant, and she was a clinical instructor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
And Bass’s continued electoral victories in a diverse district could prove appealing to Biden, who struggles with capturing enough Latino support. According to her office, the district she represents is 39% Latino, 25% black, 25% white, and 8% Asian.
She was previously not on the radar of many campaign watchers, but Bass had been mentioned by House Majority Whip James Clyburn in various interviews, along with other black female politicians who he thought would make good picks: Florida Rep. Val Demings, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, California Sen. Kamala Harris, or former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams.
“Karen Bass would be a big plus,” Clyburn told CNN earlier this month. “She is a great person in my mind. I work with her every day.”
Clyburn’s endorsement of the former vice president just days before the South Carolina Democratic primary is often credited with pushing Biden to a blowout victory in the state and cementing his path to the nomination despite badly losing the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. His very public preference that Biden choose a black woman to be his running mate, and that he suggested Bass, could have contributed to Biden’s team vetting her.
While Bass has experience and credibility in two major areas relevant in the 2020 political cycle, one drawback is that Bass does not have a major national profile. Biden has said that he prefers a running mate who has already been tested on the national stage. And having only represented a House district could prompt questions about whether she has the experience needed to be president on “Day One,” as Biden has said.
Some of Bass’s sound bites could also draw incessant criticism from Republicans. She said that she is open to impeaching President Trump again should enough information arise.
“Even though we are impeaching him now, there’s still a number of court cases. There’s a ton of information that could come forward. For example, we could get his bank records and find out that he’s owned 100% by the Russians,” Bass said in December.
