If you haven’t heard of Deb Haaland, you might just be living under a rock, and we welcome you back to the sunshine. She, alongside Sharice Davids of Kansas, could very well become the first Native American women ever elected to Congress in November. The New Mexico attorney and former state Democratic Party chair has long been fighting to advance progressive values—both in and out of the Native community.
At the first-ever She the People Summit in San Francisco, a unique convening of women of color who are determined to transform political representation as we know it, Haaland took a few minutes to chat with Daily Kos guest reporter Iara Peng, former COO of Solidaire Network. It was an absolute honor to discuss Haaland’s bright future (and storied past) within the Democratic party, where the Pueblo of Laguna tribe member first got her start as a volunteer.
As a single mother who has faced the realities of living paycheck to paycheck, Haaland is uniquely positioned to challenge the constant right-wing efforts to make life even harder for the bulk of Americans. In fact, those lived experiences are what make Haaland certain that she, and folks like her, are best qualified to shape our nation’s policies.
“When I think about the folks who are in charge now making decisions—like kicking people off of their SNAP benefits and implementing work requirements for Medicaid—those are folks who have likely never had to struggle a day in their lives.
We need someone to speak up for the folks who have struggled—who know what it’s like to apply for food stamps, and have to put groceries back at the checkout line because you don’t have enough money to pay for it, or struggle between paying your rent, or buying food. (W)e need more people like that to speak up.”
Take three minutes to watch the full interview below, and you’ll find her as powerful as we did.
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