Transcripts For CSPAN2 Women Congressional Campaign Leaders Address Womens Leadership Summit 20240713

Women rule. Its so amazing to see some many of you in the audience for what is sure to be a full day of powerful conversation. I have the unique opportunity to speak to lee mill Leaders Across Industries and with daring perspective. And to create a form with different viewpoints can be heard. But the one idea that unites all of us is the notion that when women run, when women lead, when women earn, and women bill, we rule. Today there are more women and less office. More women leading corporations, and more women champion causes. They are more women rising to the top. We have reached a tipping. And its critical that we harness this momentum to continue propelling this generational shift forward. Today, i will be joined onstage by by my colleagues and leaders and the roman rule community. To examine how women are running, leading, earning, and building. Across sectors and party lines alike. Heres what i ask of all of you today. Focus on how you can create lasting impact. Which is why today we are honoring for women of impact for bringing their bold vision to life. These women are the believers and the doers. Leading with conviction while also working in the trenches. We are going to hear from trailblazers this morning, spot leaders, executives, policymakers including pete speaker of the house nancy pelosi actress and chef amy brandywine. You will get the chance to connect with fellow women rule Community Members including both are fabulous ambassadors who are sitting at your table. At lunch today and our powerful marketplace entrepreneurs who have built the Country Companies were covering throughout the day. And also the shopping, which im going to do. I like to thank the people who made today possible. We have our founding partners, google and the Tory Burch Foundation who without them women rule would not be what is today. I would like to give a special shout out to chevron for their tremendous partnership over the last three years. And i think thank our summit sponsors Johnson Johnson and target. And finally tour stage makeup sponsor loreal. These final thank you also towards our 2019 impact partners. Our consortium, organization dedicated women to be public leaders in our community. They include, running start, the women in Public Service projects, she should run, the association for womens business centers. Google arts and culture, the smithsonian, and im excited about our newest impact partner, the james b foundation. A special thank you to will be parting with their sq qualities lounge in switzerland next month. We hope you will be informed of todays conversations and empowered with actionable takeaways that you yourself can take and elevate women everywhere. And i hope you will talk with everyone about social media. You can ask questions throughout the day using arm rule with us. Lastly, the summit agenda and program can be found in the women rule summit act which is new this year. You can find that on the app store and google play by searching political life. Once youve downloaded the lug app we encourage you to login, connect with people around you. Now, for our first segment of the day, running. I am delighted to bring to the stage three members of congress who got to impact our new wave of women on the hill have today. Panelist please join me on the stage. [applause] gay theres some energy in the room. I am thrilled to kick off todays summit with a conversation bringing together democratic and republican lawmakers. There is really a hallmark of wood into this. This morning i am joined by indiana representative representative who is also the recruiting chair also Lauren Underwood of illinois, that section of the crowd is always good. And i have Stephanie Murphy the democrat from florida. Representing to veronica was supposed to join us but im not sure she checked the news this morning. Its a little busy and she is a member of the Judiciary Committee so she was unable to join us. We are get a start here. More than 100 women were sworn into the house in 2019 and shattered the record that was made a decade ago. A new leader, we are talking about the summit boy do we really want to think about. Whats changed. We talk about so often that so important for women to be into the power for them to be elected into office. And i want to ask the question murphy because youve been in congress for a little bit longer. What have you seen changed either may be kinda socially or structurally with more women . Have you seen that impact already start. As to take take longer than a year too . Will i will start out that it clearly i came into office in 2019 and while we have seen a historic number which is awesome, we quite frankly have a very long way to go. It was more than a hundred years ago that jeannette jenness rankin from montana was the first woman to serve in congress, and i think she really wouldve thought that we wouldve been further along than we are right now. And i think when we have women who are serving, who are role models for young girls and women of all ages, people often think well i think i can do that too. Weve got to share our stories, share our experiences, they are so diverse and difference of we all came here. And i had never run for office before, but ive been in some public offices, ive been an attorney since the mid 80s and realized i was the one approached about running for office. I was asked. I was not one that just raised my hand and i think what seeing now is more women on their own are raising their hands than they werent even a decade ago. But i still think if you asked most women, in congress, most of them were asked to run. Most of them didnt just raise their hand. Will first i just want to say im so grateful to be here, what adds a way to spend a night day with a bunch of women. And the men who support them. I think in a couple of ways we are probably different is an womens rule maybe a couple of days ago where there was a survey that said that with this historic election of a women and diversity to congress, its actually given women and america and across this country more hope. When they were surveyed, men and women were surveyed after 16, you could see after 18 that women looked at the world more optimistically. And i think that was in large part in being able to see that they were represented either diversity that makes the country so strong. And then i think the other one its nice to be serving with a lot of other women. Younger women as well. Because i get mistaken for an intern a little less. [laughter] i was in an elevator with a very awkward conversation with one of my colleagues who said who do you work for . I thought to the people. [inaudible] [laughter] i really appreciate you being here today, she was one of our first events of this year, you came, and i appreciated it. I want to ask your question. You are the youngest africanamerican in congress. He took a look at Longtime Health in illinois, you are bringing with it, its may be different than some your colleagues have been here longer, its working out. Whats become very clear to me that there is a certain responsibility that comes with the first. And being the only. So i am the youngest black woman to ever serve in congress. Which means in the end tire history of this country, there had never been a young black woman at that table. So whatever we are trying but economic issues, healthcare issues, housing housing, Climate Change, we have millions of people across the country who now have a voice. And i feel that responsibility. While i am so grateful and honored to be able to represent my community, i also recognize the real need to offer representation in the other way. And selling congress and come down to the braga hecht health conference, we knew this was going to be an opportunity to be able to lift up the issue that gets the attention and washington is deserved for 30 years. Black women are three to four times and childbirth in the country. It has been unchanged here my entire lifetime. So in a few months, with this partnership, weve been able to grow the caucus into nearly a hundred members bipartisan. Weve had a real win in terms of standalone legislation, appropriations and we are on the verge of having the first Medicare Advantage through the house. So that women on medicaid get a full year of coverage postpartum, things like that. And that doesnt just happen. You have to have representative to recognize that and are willing to leverage their Political Capital to get that change the system. And i think that we are in this really powerful and exciting. Right now to be able to do that. [applause] i want to give kudos to lauren into the women in particular the younger women in congress who have talked about in terms of mortality. J meeker rare a butler has had her third child while serving in congress. Her first child has significant medical complications and size think what they have done, when i came into congress i was way past childbearing years, but these women who are having babies while in congress and the amounts of women who are focused on mortality, i dont believe our country realize what a horrible problem it was. And particularly for women of color. Weve had lots of hearings about this and the issue has led those hearings. And i do believe its because women in congress, like lauren and jeannie, have raised up this issue. We are really not a good place in the world. And who would have guessed that with the medical innovation, with all of the healthcare we have in this country, it is still far too Many American women are dying. Congress amount i want to go back to what you said about he started talking at this issue. You said youre the first. Hows the weight of that, how do you deal with that. You have a lot of women here are trying to be the first as they work up their way up the corporate ladder, up and service. I was the first woman to lead the playbook, tells the bit how you deal that pressure. Will he know so many of us dont seek out to be the first. We want to do the job, we want to have impact we want to have impact we just happen to be the first. And thats fine. But i do think there is a responsibility, because we want to make sure there are more women and others coming after us quickly. But i dont want to be the only. The first is fine,. Are you the first woman to represent your district . I am the first woman. [applause] but we dont want to be the only. So what can we do that every day to make it easier for those who want to come behind us. And what i think is that we have made leaps and bounds and growth in just a year. And so i am excited about that. I spoke with the roundtable of members for the Politico Magazine thats online and i encourage you to check it out. Including senator ouppercaseletter, democrats john hayes, we have had a frank conversation about around whats changed. How did it change, what needs to change. We were kind of going back in history about how there wasnt bathrooms for women. Until very recently. Thanks to john weiner. There you go. s it was speaker bain or who move the womens restroom right off the floor by the way. Give us a little bit of behind the scenes. What is going to change . Are there nursing rooms . Are there other issues from your perspective. Whether your woman or not, this still needs to move forward to make Congress Move forward. I happen to serve on the select committee, on the modernization of congress, very special committee. It was last constituted 19941995. I have to say youre giving me something to take back and consider. Its a completely bipartisan committee, i love being on this committee. I wouldnt say weve had a huge focus specifically on women. So i will go back and with susan dell benny and mary j scanlon and talk about what we might interject with their with modernization. But i know one of the things we certainly talk about is we need more space within the capital. This is bipartisan discussion that takes place believe it or not, except in our member offices, there are very few places where we can come together and have a private conversation and get to know each other very well. So we are talking about how to actually change the space. I think things like actually lactation rooms, again im crossed that. Even though i havent asked to see if we have them. Jamie would know. She comes to congress she comes to the floor all the time with her little baby with her. But i think its just something we have to continue to focus on. Anything else . I would say now that there are more women serving, and when you serve it sort of a family affair. Like everybody has to be all hands on deck. And there are a lot of women with small children who are serving now. I think taking that into account with the scheduling, as well as with the orientation, is really important. I remember when my husband, when i got elected and he was going through orientation, they tried to give them. [inaudible] with lipstick and nail polish it up. So i think theyre all these little ways that we, even though we have more women serving limitless children and family serving in those responsibility is to balance. We havent yes oriented our processes and procedures towards that. We are working in scheduling, that is a chunk because we know the schedule doesnt work very well for families. Verses we always take august off in the august recess traditional recess time. And im not saying thats definitely going away, but yet so many school start early now. And so now when we are off, kids are going back to school that first, second week of august. So a lot of members we took suggestions from members and they are just saying the schedule does not work. And if we dont make it more Family Friendly we will not attract more women. Because it has to work and their life, and stephanie is not an amazing job with your kids. Mine were older they were 18 and 21 when i got into congress. Messing with the august recess, called controversy. State junior sealer recommend. Florida when i ask there is vast majority women and. [inaudible] there is a woman done in the midterms. What can republicans do. Weve had this conversation so many times. And it just doesnt seemed like republicans are able to get over the tipping. There. Kudos to the democrats for their efforts for the elections recycle. I am the recruitment chair and im proud to be doing that. We actually had, at least the phonics for, we did have 62 women on the general election ballot last cycle. Now quite frankly only 13 of us made it through, carol muller being the only freshman, and shes awesome by the way. Any having carolyn congress is great. This congress we have continued to focus i am very pride to say, and i checked hundred 78 republican women have filed for office. More than any other time. We had a hundred and 30 last congress, right now filing hasnt ended. We also have about 140 people of color. And that is again. [applause] people have seen the diversity of congress and how its changed. And so that is because republicans across the country to say i want to run for office. And so i think we are going to see, hopefully weve got a good, one of color through the primaries. Thats my next question. That is always a challenge we have a least a phonic who led the way. Winning for women, view pack, other groups are supporting our women in unprecedented ways. And what i have seen, which i did not notice as much last time, and it could be ive just been really frank with her caucus. And ive shared with the caucus will talk to them about conference about political conference like guys, we have enough of you. I need you to help the women who are running. And they are. A lot more men, a lot more republican men are engaging in helping the women in their states. And we go to those delegations in the states and we asked them to really support the women who are running. And ive seen that. That is truly when will the republicans start pushing somebodys republican women. Youre having historic number republicans retiring, but getting some of these republicans ina lot of incredibl ages, all background stepping up. Im really excited about it. I want to talk to little bit about the moderate democratic side of the party, cochair of the blue dogs. A lot of the freshman women, and men who were elected in the cycle are much more liberal. They arent necessarily tied to the Party Establishment and the ways that historically democrats have. Whether thats talking about socialism or other things that have flared up. Has it made it harder for democrats . I dont know what that doorbell was. [laughter] i dont think so, note actually challenge the notion that the women that have come in are on the progressive. I think we have a nice, you know spread across the spectrum with our democratic caucus, and theyre actually quite a few women who are in moderate left kind of state. But there are some voices amplified more than others, sure. But i think one of the things that women always bring to the table, whether its in the carpool line, boardroom, or wherever else we show up, is that we show up, and we listen. And then we find ways to specifically engage one another and i think that has been at the heart of what has been beneficial. You can disagree on policies perhaps, but find your conversation and dialogue the ability to find common ground. And ive seen a lot of that. And one thing to remember is that we have not traditionally seen the loudest, boldest, most powerful doses voices coming out of capitol hill as women. And thats it we have right now. We have women speaker, stephanie is the chair of the blue dogs. I chair the caucus. We have some political women who are moving us forward. And that makes folks uncomfortable sometimes, but we have not seen that before. But that doesnt mean that its disagreement, it doesnt mean theres conflict, it doesnt mean theres an inability to move forward. It just means that the face and the voice might be a little different than what weve seen previously. Do you feel that it is youre going to have two women potentially sparring on an idea. Just because thats kind of the public frame that often gets put out there . I dont think so. In my experience here, and im in my fourth term, often the women, i cochaired the womens caucus last congress with lois frankel, and right now weve got Brenda Lawrence and debbie lesko cochairing the womens caucus. We try, the women in my experience have tried to find more Common Grounds and fighting against each other. I dont think you see the catfight. I think because of that work, lois and i lead in the house the bill the last congress that keeping the Young Athletes, protecting Young Athletes from sexual abuse, are u. S. Gymnasts that had been sexually assaulted by doctor nasser, we led the charge in the house to change those protocols and to change that training in our olympic movement. That was along with Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins in the house. So we are taking, those really serious issues in term of mortality issues, but particular that involve women and girls. We are trying, lois and i are co leading on keeping young girls in education act, making sure the usaid funding, that the strategies in this country that keep women and girls rather in school beyond elementary school. All around the country. All around the world rather. And these are the types of things that we actually feel good about. We want to find those things. They are always going to be the outliers on both sides of the aisle, and they get the attention from the media, but the end of the day the real work being done, i think is being done by women they can get this done. But think about it. [inaudible] two women leading the funding and efforts for congress thats a pretty powerful. Thats very, very different for helmets been in the past in this country. So we started with the news of the day being impeachment so we have to talk about it is our politico and women know. I think today, right about now some of your colleagues in the democratic side it 9 00 a. M. Are holding a press conference to announce two articles of impeachment for the president. I want to ask you come from overly conservative area, typically won by republicans, how do you explain whats happening in washington now . We are in a unique position and that folks in illinois are very familiar with corruption. This is not acorn foreign concept. I mean serious. When the speaker announced the inquiry of the end of september, at the same time im in the chicago reason so we watch chicago tv there. At the same time the fbi were raiding all the areas. So what you see Speaker Pelosi, donald trump, fbi carting out boxes right from city hall in chicago. And so my neighbors and all kinda looks the same. They said theyve seen that before, its not something that is so foreign and unfamiliar. And so we start out from this day and said that its wrong. Its wrong to have an abuse of power. Now whether or not thats impeachable effect, thats different. But its not something that in my conversations with my neighbors in my constituents that would happen this fundamental disagreement about what happens and the morality of it. And so from that perspective, im curious to see the articles. I dont have any inside knowledge. Will we get off this stage im going to be looking at my phone to see what we are really talking about here. I never going to have a conversation the community. Are you it all concerned the speed at which the democrats have chosen to move on this . That maybe they should take time, look at the reports, things like that. I would like to ask Speaker Pelosi about this. But our Union Colleagues wrestling with this at all . No, look weve had a transparent and open process. We are looking at the information that is available and reality this affects our 2020 election. Its crazy to me that at a time when i have been our office has been working so hard to secure alexa and security. To secure funding for election security. In advance legislation to see we probably habit foreign interference in our election. At the same time that we are pushing forward this effort, trying to secure our democracy. We are also looking at the leader of our country soliciting foreign intervention in our elections. And in the 2020 election specifically. Moreover, you have the commander of cybercrime saying guess what, in 2020 expect not just russia but china, all these other actors to try to interfere in our elections. Because russia did so in 16 to a great effect on their farm. They achieve their goals of achieving discord in our democracy. And they just had zero consequences. So why would anyone else be deterred . So the speed is driven by the fact that the we have an election coming up that we have got to secure. We have to make sure that the American People feel like they get free and fair elections. Thats the heart of our democracy. One of the things i would like to share is that i think there was no question that there has that there was interference in election 2016. What has been so disappointing, what we have not learned and what i truly wish a speaker had done but did not do, is work in a bipartisan way to secure the elections in 2020. The cyber attacks, manner in which our foreign adversaries are enjoying this discord that is happening. And not just enjoying, will actually capitalize emil really try and interfere with our elections in 2020 is significant. And yet, only partisan election bills, and voting security bills have been put on the house floor. We did not work in a bipartisan way. So we have not learned yet how to secure our elections. And i am very, very concerned, and its very disappointing. So the end of the day, well i dont believe that this was a fair process and i dont want to debate all impeachments are this morning with the processes been. But adam schiff has been the investigative body, the grand jury, the judge, the trier of fact, has done it all. I dont believe it has been a fair process at all. Fair process at all. That they wouldnt be based on the pole of the next electio election. Certainly that i find very interesting from obstruction of justice and then this morning on television i hear obstruction of congress. So what has happened is not justice. I have been in the Justice System for over 30 years. Is a former us attorney as well as a lawyer for a long time. What we have seen has not been justice. It has not been a fair process. It doesnt sound like you are open to it. [laughter] but that is why we have a third branch of government , the courts. If congress felt this Administration Like past president s have impeded investigations thats what the third branch is for her to go to the court and ask the question and that has not been the path. That is not a fair process the urban and suburban in rule but just based on everything i dont believe that i will. Before we run out of time with more women in leadership and let more women could do to get elected. I think women should have the courage to try and to make a change in our community and we have this internal narrative that we cant. It is critically important that women have the courage to try whatever it is they are setting out to do regardless of what they think the outcome will be. And the men and their life should be there to support them. Absolutely. You can volunteer for women. Financially support, amplify their stories. Then you have to accept the intention. Women have incredible stories to share to get those stories out and quite frankly and that you have to have the financial resources. Women have to support women and whether doing mailings it takes resources like we have never seen before. At the end of the day we have got to make sure women have the resources. Thank you so much for helping the women kick off the summit. [applause] with a little bit out of politics and getting active to help women run for office. The one behind the 2020 campaign thank you for your time. [applause] good morning everyone. I am a National Political reporter for politico. We are deep into the 2020 president ial campaign and now we are down to 15. With a president ial hopeful and why the country still has elected a woman to the highest office in the land Simone Sanders Senior Advisor for joe biden and for four mayor pete and then the director for Elizabeth Warren thank you for joining us today. [applause] the topic that isnt getting much air time moments ago House Democrats introduced to articles of impeachment of the historic president ial Campaign Cycle. How does trump tweeting at the breakneck piece change the way you function quex. And with that impeachment it is a new cycle and we have to think about the severity of that he is literally breaking the law and add the disc line at a pace that what Elizabeth Warren is doing and then we have to focus on the fact of the Campaign Cycle and not of the government. And let someone show you who they are but then the point to be made is the historic moment of the severity. On the same topic senators are under candidate with the conspiracy theories on the trail is a harder for you to communicate cracks but today which you have seen House Democrats is donald trump in the making with the impeachment in korea now articles of impeachment have been introduced and said china and then to say about what President Biden and for the middle class but then also not going to take these conspiracy theories and attacks lying down. And last week in iowa. So if anybody is wondering if joe biden can take them on i point you to that video in iowa. [laughter] moving on to the topic of the panel with the president ial campaign. There are women including women of color working today. So what did it take for you to get to this point in your caree career . I will say my experience, i think i have gone through the governmental pathway into campaigns and politics. And all over the state of maryland. And with the campaign trail and they come through a lot of hard work. And we were just laughing backstage how a lot of us have known each other prior to the cycle because the space is small. And we all know each other because of that. And that focus on diversity is important. And finance and spread across the campaign it is changing and thats a good thing. But we only have one female Campaign Manager. So us having these positions is critical and i think its really driving the scope and the shape of this cycle. Working on multiple president ial campaigns. Do you feel your career decisions are more than your male peers quex. Yes. [laughter] absolutely i feel that way and its partly because that people that look like me that i decisions ive decided to make about my career. But before when i was live in the dependent lifestyle that i used to schedule people on College Campuses and that you have to make the best decisions for your career. But going to work on the campaign is not a past time. Its literally what i have done when i was a freshman in college. I was a campaign staffer. And i often feel like no one would be asking me. So like the women involved in campaign but only one of the Campaign Managers this cycle is a woman and the runners have female Campaign Managers and what will it take for women to break that barrier quex. But our campaign is over 60 percent women. So when we have conversations before i started on the campaign. And before that i worked with the obama reelection. And then to have a conversation in people and largerthanlife spaces that people thought me have on our campaign to push forward those conversations and get you to a place of a better and more inclusive message and when your message is more inclusive. So to see those that are diverse with people of color but we also have to include those different identities as well. You come to a more Robust Campaign that is more reflective of the American Population and people dont feel as a token when they talk to you through that cycle that has changed among leadership so thats encouraging more women to get involved in politics to make it so Campaign Managers have male or female parity. And part of what were doing is building a pipeline. We all talk about this with the colored girls the black women trying to fight their way to the table but in now to push to get higher levels. One day we are sitting here as Campaign Manager. Those Campaign Managers they have done communications theyve been in political. Talking about the campaigns that represent america. All of you are not working on latino. So the way we wake on break barriers to make it normal for more women to be a Campaign Manager is not only get involved because we are involved but to make decisions of who gets what job who is the finance director who is the organizing director about creating diversity in opportunities and inclusion. And people ask why are there more women of color . Its not that we are not here. I go to the interview and they say i dont know or do you know anybody . [laughter] every woman in this room has had the experience of someone to come to them you know somebody who can . I can. We have to make our presence known. So this is truly. Talk about campaigns being intentional 1. 11 how did this come about . And at any point in your career have you had to fight for people . Absolutely ill think anybody out there has said how do i ask for a raise. Whens the right time to have the conversation of expanding responsibilities because of not getting credit. Its time for me to receive some of that credit ago i think the campaign is very intentional with the war in campaign we are 50 percent women a lot of women running a lot of departments and having that leadership ensures the campaign is going in the right way but beyond all of that we watch the pieces and constantly keep track like the pay gap to make sure we are ending that gap in the campaign to show how the administration would be run a lot of plans are oriented that way and thats an example of how that would show up in future administrations. Last week howard stern interviewed Hillary Clinton and it was tweeted and praised her having a Huge National audience in 2016 he repeatedly tried to get clinton to come on his show and asked and asked and with the white men in the audience where she was lagging but the campaign turned him down every time. I know you worked for the other democrat in that primary but seeing what we saw last week would you have asked her to do that interview quex. Its easy for me to say obviously you should have done the howard stern interview but i doubt i would of been the person in the room to say that. [laughter] but come on. That would have been great but to be clear because the secretary clinton that was on the campaign trail she was up against an inordinate amount of things people feel like they knew who she was through her 25 year career so it was tough. I would just say we make decisions every single day in our campaign about who vice President Biden and reprioritize because if we are out in iowa because at the end of the day that the campaigns are making key decisions about access then we have donald trump and then sitting on the show for 20 minutes but that balance would be howard stern. I dont know. I dont know about howard stern we like to say hes the greatest detail politician in america with oneonone interviews. Look. We can do it all. Our campaign has been very much tied into given media access so something im sure we would consider given the comments that liz put out on twitter. So the idea. [laughter] and reality is we go wherever america is and the idea is a Political Coalition to be donald trump bottom line so theres different places we have gone like the Breakfast Club this is about the voters bottom line. As the only female front runner. There are a lot of factors that what is so important to us is communicating to every voter. It isnt just msnbc thats why she has gone through rural mississippi and kermit West Virginia but the point is that she has a message that resonates with so many people so you make sure you meet people where they are versus getting them to come to you. s all those factors come into play for what you believe. That was a very smart answer. [laughter] so with senator harris the only black woman running you discuss this little bit what was going through your mind quex. And a black woman in a leadership position somebody that i look up to and will break barriers for the career that i have and then for her to run so whether or not as a black woman with politics removed from campaigning it is hard to see this could be the greatest achievement so i think it is hard for a lot of us. We were all like today was really hard but for our friends who are also on the campaign its an interesting time to reconcile as people are fighting for diversity with those strategy positions but now we have so much diversity of politics to have a black woman candidate and staffers so actually it is a beautiful story but it is disheartening and it hurt. Just sucks that the billionaires can bloomberg then you have Kamala Harris and even christin gillibrand so we have to get the money out of politics especially particularly black women who are running its harder for women to raise money. And you were there when harris announced in january. We went back to our rooms to watch it i love senator harris i love her sister meyer long maia i consider them both mentors but senator harris is a star i said that day to see her every day on the campaign trail for a lot of people across the country and myself included vice President Biden said she is a rising star but i think at the end of the day representation is important that little girls all over america whether black or white that they look at the nation that i can run for president. I can be secretary, Senior Advisor, and if this cycle has any kind but that diversity and representation will reverberate for years to come is just how important the cycle is because so many people see that. With the young women in the roles that you are what advice would you give to young women . You have dealt with some online hatred and thats what you dont expect when you first go into i it. Lets be clear i think a lot of women know walking in the room what you will deal with. A lot of times people take your agency and its a thing unfortunately that we lose the respect for what you do coming in doing what you know because you are there for a reason. Right . You would not be where you are if you didnt work hard and deserve to be there you are well enough to be in that space so that could be a guiding principle to follow my gut i feel like being as confident as possible and whether combat boots and a nose ring i feel its so incredibly important to be exactly who you are and to smash ceilings and all that fun stuff. [applause] what is the one thing you needed to understand about your job that you couldnt understand until you actually had the position . This is actually a reader question from meredith in manhattan kansas. Whats the one thing you need to understand about your job that you couldnt until you actually had the position. I cant even say in particular like even with a war and campaign every single job that i have had there are things that you dont know. And the way to get through those to be honest but open to the feedback and open to understanding and with the war and campaign war and campaign and then with those issues that is a little bit of a challenge talking about abortion to all these different foreign policies so you have to be ahead of that but if you dont know something then be confident in that and no its not necessarily a downfall and getting more confident to grow and learn. But what you do for Warren Campaign is with people of color led by a white woman that is making sure their voices are heard across her policies. Yes. That is something overall. Part of the role is communicating that walking into the campaign to have this conversation to raise the wealth gap will impact all americans having that conversation that core of who we are. And to speak to that i think the policy conversation we are having is fascinating in that regard with our policies as well like the agenda for black america is focused on different aspects of everyday life so whether funding the National Endowment for the arts what children are taught in school about reality of our founding and migrating Business Owners to ensure to pay back early on in the countrys founding and looking at the different aspects of how our system has worked against different communities and created barriers that they fight every single day for the Democratic Party. You know that vice President Biden would say a black agenda is americas agenda a woman agenda is america agenda those proposals speaking to america to have a Good Health Care policy to directly affect women you cannot have a good Economic Policy that does not speak to the reality of black and brown families in america. So frankly with all the candidates in this race that they have set out to do. Now we will have a lightning round and start at the end. So we just heard all about your job whats the one thing you cannot live without on the trail . My air pods. [laughter] a mixture of Hair Products because i was weather will dry your hair out i have to have my oil and i am in good shape. If your candidate was elected president what position do you want in the white house . Know saying you are just focused on the campaign. Be honest. I am focused on the campaign. [laughter] because the reality is the first black secretary is a real threat to america across the country. As biden got into this race because he recognize that from the beginning. And to make that general election argument as the campaign has gone on it has been underscored so were not thinking about what jobs they want to do in the white house and talking about healthcare and what their Healthcare Plan is. Would you like to answer the question nina . I am with simone on the day today and the white house right now changes everything your hearing on the trail from the American People. I want to say a final one. It is day today but we cannot be promising billionaires and people who have negotiated something and they are worried about their jobs in the administration we have to get trump out of the white house and we have to win this election. We are definitely out of time. Thank you ladies so much and dad illuminating conversation i got a little dicey at the end. Especially women of color face in politics happy birthday to simone. Please welcome to the stage. [applause] good morning. It is so great to be here at the politico summit on the west coast. I am the author of the california playbook and i am here with a great panelist coming up december 19 with the democratic primary debate hosted by politico and pbs news hour so we will have a sneak peek of what is ahead our fearless leader and editor at politico and the chief Political Correspondent the debate will be live stream and pbs news hour social media website and platforms and to be broadcast on pbs stations nationwide lets get started only ten days out so lets talk about this. Six out of 12 primaries how will you make this more newsworthy or different from what has come before . First of all its great to be here i think what we will draw from is the strength of this panel we have three great moderators from pbs as well as alberta that are individuals that bring incredibly different experiences to the table and right now they are intensively focusing on questions and we been working on this for almost ten months to get a debate to prepare for the debate but sitting in a room with pbs and with my team looking at a wide range of questions from readers and my experts and 300 people in the newsroom and with the minutia of policymaking and Climate Change and health care and tech policy and what is frankly the story we want to tell over two hours . Its almost like putting together a story and we are both thinking of what has been covered and in the moment now but these candidates who they are in their philosophy their character but also getting them to open up and share about themselves thats the broad take. Their issues to get to. I hope i dont screw that up thank you specifically we had four boys and no girls and was badly outnumbered with no soccer balls or no footballs and this gave me that similar vibe last [laughter] we like men. And at this stage of the campaign i for one am screaming at the television most of the time certainly with these other debates because it is very abstract and theoretical and almost academic. And to hear and more concrete terms and with the realities of washington and there is an awful lot of things to explore and a much more tangible way. And not to cast dispersions but and yes we have the backstop of the holidays off of that break they will be getting ready to make up their mind for the Democratic Party and to make that decision to have more concrete information at their disposal up until this point. And how do you decide the issues is there anything not been covered there is a lot of secrecy we have folks that were just here that would be interested in knowing. [laughter] i think its fair to say we want to be smart and sharp and demand followup to make sure they are answering the question it is a challenging environment to do that. You have a two hours i know what i would want to do crafting debate so that comes to bear in that process. We dont want to retread. Talk about the changes coming up talk about Kamala Harris withdrawal. Are you bracing for lastminute changes . No. Not really. So others could still qualify that this stage is pretty much set congresswoman gabbard said she will not participate even if she does qualify. What you have there its only two women on stage and frankly to have a field of candidates looking similar. And why do these debate still matter. Thats a good question so to the currency of a president ial campaign and specifically a president ial is the moment. And then to break through all the noise especially the nature of the 24 7 news cycle. We have more information coming at us than ever before. But no less which is problematic. For spanning the better point of two years so it is imperative to break through the noise and have a moment if you look at the 2016 campaign and marco rubio that is negative obviously and kneecaps the campaign so that is the importance to get the ease candidates all under one roof for a couple of hours and have a debate not just answer questions and soundbites but to have a robust discussion and to facilitate that and then you have one of those moments. Going back it is make or break so are you hoping into history . And then to be sitting up there on the panel. A little bit because i want to make sure this is a Job Interview that i am privileged to sit in a position asking questions that will affect me in the family and the kids so we have to drill down on the substance between these folks and to freshen up those disagreements and some of those are more guarded than others. With that new level of urgency. And they can move pretty quickly and they will not be viable. And some insight what does the campaign go through and to fend off the question . How much goes on behind the scenes . And candidates as we have seen experiencing in the last six months like Kamala Harris as she was clearly prepared for that a whole followup process that follows the debate is just as important on stage as after we have candidate reporters and trying to mimic what they think they will say and with 2016 and literally embody donald trump and refuser refusing to come out and for the real debates so im pushing my recorder to get things like that with warren and sanders and others so yes these are huge moments and they still matter and the power of these moments because there is a claim on some issue of the engagement to change the course. Multiple times over multiple campaigns. So what would be the big take away for voters . What is your goal . To have a future in television. And with often times we will see a side to a candidate that we never saw they were a candidate and Hillary Clinton on stern or mitt romney we look at them and say where the hell was that person all the time they were campaigning . It can be a dehumanizing process to run for president and that default negativism that they will utilize built into the mode where they are intentionally masking any color or personality. Waking up 6 00 a. M. In a holiday inn in West Des Moines trying to figure out to convince people. And then you shut down. And then for voters to see that. Especially given the Holiday Season to draw them out a little bit that allows them to have a little bit of a better idea and a human being they are voting for. Now has a sneak peek remember december 19 from los angeles on the pbs news hour. On all pbs stations nationwide. Thank you so much i am very excited for the next conversation needing no introduction the first woman to lead a Congressional Party the first female speaker of the house of representatives please join Speaker Pelosi to the stage. [applause] the first standing ovation