Kirsten Gillibrand: On 2020, the War on Drugs, and Women in Politics
CLAIRE CUTLER: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) spoke at Georgetown on Wednesday, October 30th at an event sponsored by the Georgetown Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service. Her conversation with Professor Donna Brazile and Professor You-Me Park focused on her presidential run, domestic politics, and women in politics.
Discussing her recent run for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 Presidential Election, Senator Gillibrand said that she entered the race hoping that her record of winning Republican districts would make her an attractive candidate. She withdrew from the crowded race in August after months of campaigning. Gillibrand said that her biggest takeaway from the campaign trail was that “there is far more that unites us than divides us.” She found that Americans in both parties were most concerned about “kitchen table issues” such as healthcare, education, and jobs, which have the potential to generate bipartisan support.
Gillibrand plans to endorse a candidate before the New York primary. She added that she will support the Democratic nominee regardless of who it is. When asked if she would accept a position in the 2020 cabinet if offered one, Gillibrand said that “if there is any way [she] can be more effective or more impactful [she] will definitely consider it.”
On the issue of student loans, Gillibrand said that she supports refinancing all student loans to a rate of approximately four percent. Gillibrand also proposed a system under which students would be able to exchange two years of public service for four free years of college education. Students could serve in positions in education, as first responders, or in the military, three critical areas of the government which are facing a dearth of young people. Gillibrand also stated that all STEM jobs focusing on climate change would receive the same benefits.
Gillibrand related the issue of gun control to the issue of campaign finance. To reform campaign finance, Gillibrand proposes a system that mimics the Democracy Dollars system recently piloted in Seattle. This publicly funded election system allows all voters to allocate their democracy dollars to the candidate of their choice, leading to more participation on the part of women, people of color, and low-income communities. Gillibrand connected this to gun control by stating that the major barrier to common sense gun legislation is the gun lobby’s investments in candidates.
In response to a student question regarding how Gillibrand would repair the damage inflicted on communities by the War on Drugs, Gillibrand proposed a four-step solution. The first step would be to decriminalize and legalize marijuana. The second would be to expunge the records of individuals convicted of marijuana-related crimes. The third would be to reinvest the money earned from taxes on the legal sale of marijuana into the communities most harmed by the War on Drugs. Finally, Gillibrand said she would give a large portion of the licenses associated with the growing and selling of marijuana to black-owned businesses.
When asked how to get more women into politics, Gillibrand said, “Men don’t need to be asked. Women need to be asked.” She explained that this is the reason her organization, Off the Sidelines, works to empower women to run for office and provides funding to those that do.
Gillibrand emphasized how the frequent discussion of female politicians’ appearances creates a formidable environment for young women on the Hill face. Gillibrand ended by noting the harmful effects of such discourse, saying, “If your looks are being commented on then your ideas, your theories, your policies aren’t.”