Press Releases
Harris, Porter Blast Trump Administration for Hiding Data on Small Business Grants
Citing existing federal law, Senator and Congresswoman demand Administration release Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan recipients and award amounts WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) on Friday blasted the Trump Administration for withholding information from the public about a $650 billion program intended to support small businesses. The two demanded release of data about who is receiving forgivable loans from the … Continue Reading
June 11, 2020
Harris, Feinstein, Sherman, Colleagues Introduce Bill Making Safety Equipment Mandatory on Helicopters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday joined Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA), along with Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), in introducing the Helicopter Safety Act, a bill to require terrain awareness and warning systems and crash-resistant flight data and voice recorders on all helicopters that carry six or more … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Harris, Porter Demand Better Oversight of Coronavirus Bailout Money
Senator and Congresswoman call on Congressional leadership to appoint Chair of Commission overseeing $500 billion in taxpayer funds to shore up large businesses hurt by COVID-19 pandemic WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) on Wednesday called on Congressional leadership to remove a roadblock hampering oversight of taxpayer dollars going to large corporations. In a letter, Harris and Porter urged leaders of both parties to quickly … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Harris, Duckworth, Colleagues Demand GAO Immediately Reviews Safety of Rubber Bullets Being Used on Peaceful Protesters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Tuesday joined Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and 11 of their colleagues in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) immediately conduct a review to examine the safety of rubber bullets being used during civil rights protests. The request comes on the heels of public reporting that indicates there have been serious injuries resulting from law enforcement's use of these projectiles to control and disperse protests … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Harris Presses FEMA on Lack of Preparedness for Wildfire Season
Full Video of Harris' Remarks WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Tuesday pressed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor on FEMA's lack of preparedness for wildfire season during the COVID-19 pandemic. FEMA published a response plan for hurricanes during COVID-19, claiming that the same principles and standards can be applied to all disasters. Harris points out that FEMA's focus on hurricanes and a one-size-fits-all approach, fails to … Continue Reading
June 08, 2020
Harris, Congressional Black Caucus, Democrats Announce Historic Legislation Addressing Police Brutality
Full Video of Harris' Remarks WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Monday joined top Congressional Democrats in unveiling the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, historic legislation that will address police brutality with a number of reforms, including a national use of force standard and independent investigations into police misconduct. Harris stressed the importance of holding police accountable and ensuring consequences for misconduct, as well as investing in Black … Continue Reading
June 08, 2020
Harris, Bass, Booker, Nadler Introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020
Transformative legislation supported by 166 Representatives, 35 Senators WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) joined Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA), along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), in introducing the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and our … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Harris, Scanlon, Vargas Demand Answers on ICE & CBP Involvement in Policing Ongoing Protests
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) on Friday led 97 of their colleagues in a letter to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Matthew Albence demanding answers on the agencies' involvement with the ongoing protests against police brutality in light of reports of law enforcement using force at protests and … Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Harris Rejects Attempt To Water Down Her Historic Anti-Lynching Legislation
Full Video of Harris' Remarks WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday objected to Senator Rand Paul's (R-KY) attempt to undermine anti-lynching legislation by severely limiting what is considered a lynching. Harris explained the effort is as an insult to all current and former Black legislators who have worked tirelessly to make lynching a federal crime for 120 years. In 2018, Harris, along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC), led the Senate's … Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Harris Demands Judiciary Committee Investigate Barr’s Involvement in Crackdown on Peaceful Protesters
Failure to address bias, police brutality "will not only dishonor the body that we serve, but it will dishonor the very memory of those we should be naming today." Full Video of Harris' Remarks WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday called out Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for prioritizing a politically motivated hearing while ignoring the racism epidemic facing our nation. Harris expressed disappointment in the committee's failure to … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Harris, Senators Urge DeVos to Rescind Harmful Title IX Rule and Focus on Student Safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Wednesday joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and 35 of their Senate colleagues in slamming Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' final Title IX rule, which will weaken protections for student survivors of sexual harassment and assault. In a letter to Secretary DeVos, the senators stressed that it was inappropriate to ask schools to implement this new rule within 100 days amid the COVID-19 crisis and urged her to rescind the rule and … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Harris, Markey, Booker Introduce Senate Resolution to Abolish Qualified Immunity for Law Enforcement, Hold Officers Accountable for Police Brutality
Resolution recognizes murder of George Floyd by police officers is the result of pervasive and systemic racism that cannot be dismantled without accountability in the courts WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) on Wednesday announced a new Senate resolution that calls for the elimination of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Qualified immunity is a judge-made doctrine that protects law enforcement officers from … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Harris, Senators Urge Defense Department to Refrain from Using U.S. Military to Suppress Nationwide Protests
Senators Express Strong Opposition to Use of Military to Impede the First Amendment Rights of Americans WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Wednesday joined Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CY), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 15 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley voicing grave concerns over … Continue Reading
June 02, 2020
Harris: We Have Yet To Fulfill That Promise Of Equal Justice Under Law
Full Video of Harris' Remarks WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Tuesday joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), in addressing the ongoing protests for equal justice for Black Americans. Harris and the senators also made a point to condemn President Trump's failure to meet the needs of the crisis, including his decision to tear-gas peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park in Washington D.C. … Continue Reading
June 01, 2020
Harris, Jeffries Demand Answers on Manafort & Cohen’s Home Confinement While Vulnerable Individuals Remain Incarcerated During COVID-19 Crisis
"There are two systems of justice in our country-one for President Trump and his associates, and another for everyone else" WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Monday sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal pressing for answers on the procedure for transferring incarcerated individuals to home confinement amid the COVID-19 crisis. While tens of thousands of … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Harris Statement on the Killing of George Floyd
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Friday released the following statement on the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police on May 25, 2020: "The charges brought against the officer who murdered George Floyd are a start, but the other involved officers must also be held accountable immediately. In recent days, we've been forced to confront the tragic and horrific killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and now, George Floyd … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Harris, California Congressional Members Lead Request for Investigation of Death at Detention Facility and ICE Measures During COVID Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Representatives Scott Peters (CA-52) and Juan Vargas (CA-51) on Thursday led 42 of their colleagues in a bicameral letter to the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, requesting a thorough investigation into the recent death of a detained individual at Otay Mesa Detention Center due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The lawmakers called for the investigation to also include an assessment of what … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Harris Statement as US Surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 Deaths
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Wednesday released the following statement as the United States' death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 100,000: "My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones to this horrific illness. As we remember the more than 100,000 people in the United States who we have lost to COVID-19, we must recognize that much of this suffering was preventable and commit to speaking the truth about what we face in the months to come. "This … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Harris, Wyden, Colleagues Press Trump Administration on the Health and Safety of Youth in Juvenile Detention During COVID-19
In letter to administration, senators outline concerns for detained youth, including the impact on Black and Hispanic youth WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led 14 colleagues in pressing the Trump administration for answers regarding the health and safety of young people detained in juvenile facilities across the country. In a letter to Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Administrator Caren Harp, the senators requested … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Harris, Colleagues to Senate Leaders: Children’s Hospitals and Health Providers Need Urgent Help to Survive Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Friday joined Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) and 17 of their colleagues in telling Senate leaders that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months and they pressed Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children's hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief … Continue Reading
