2020 candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) took a step back on Wednesday from her previously asserted stance on federally mandated busing.
When journalists asked Harris if she believed busing should be a federal mandate, the California Democrat refused to say outright what her position was.
“I think of busing as being in the toolbox of what is available and what can be used for the goal of desegregating America’s schools,” she said.
When further pressed by reporters, Harris said that busing ought to be considered on a local level.
“I believe that any tool that is in the toolbox should be considered by a school district,” she told them.
Kamala Harris backtracks on busing position, saying busing should be "considered by a school district." pic.twitter.com/MS3t7XfTsx
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 4, 2019
It’s a notable shift from the position she took while sparring with 2020 rival Joe Biden during the Democratic debate last week, during which she told the former vice president that the “federal government must step in” on the issue of busing. Harris’ fiery exchange with Biden on his record of opposing busing went viral and earned her a major boost in the race.
Though Biden’s deputy campaign manager slammed Harris for the reversal, Biden himself didn’t seem too bothered when reporters brought it up to him.
“Look, she’s good person,” Biden said. “She’s smart as can be. She feels strongly.”
Biden shrugs off Harris switching positions on federally mandated busing: "Look, she's good person. She's smart as can be." pic.twitter.com/qgG6ovgj8D
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 4, 2019
Oops.
There is a difference between today and the 1960s and 70s. In those days school districts were actively working to keep schools segregated. In most of the country those days have ended. Many districts no longer work to keep schools segregated. As long as a district is doing its best to insure integration then the local district should have busing available as an option. One thing lots of us learned was Federal courts imposing busing on districts that wouldn’t desegregate was often heavy handed.
If you want to desegregate districts, change housing patterns.
Biden gave a most gracious response, no foot where it didn’t belong.
This is good news.
For Warren.
National standards are a goal. At least for me. I happen to have American citizenship, not state citizenship.
Melding state and local wishes with the overall goal of national standards has been long overdue.
If the evils of race-based, and other ethno-racial, and economic inequities had not been allowed to proliferate for literally hundreds of years, people like Harris (or Biden) would not be having to tap dance over dealing with the best ways to make the United States the United States of America.
There are professionals who could streamline a system in which the U.S. would have an educational system in which busing (or not) would be an afterthought.
What I am curious about is why Harris seems to be focused so much on this issue…but maybe it was a way to break out of the pack.