AFT’s Weingarten Applauds Selection of Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential Candidate

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after Joe Biden announced his choice of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate:

“Kamala Harris is ready to serve this country on day one, alongside Joe Biden. From the day I met her, I knew she was a political force to be reckoned with. She is deeply devoted to making life better by improving our public schools, strengthening our voting rights, and protecting the rights of working people to organize. Harris will fight tooth and nail, along with Biden, to put an end to the disastrous Trump experiment that has driven America to the brink. When you see her in action, you know.

“Last year, I had the pleasure of watching Harris visit several Detroit-area schools, and I watched her interact with students, their parents and their educators. I saw, firsthand, her graciousness as a human being and her toughness as a leader—two qualities I know will serve her well in the White House. Like Biden, Harris has built a career on standing up for the backbone of this country—the truly essential people. From standing up to big banks, to facing down the gun lobby, to fighting for the LGBTQ community, to rallying for justice in policing, Harris knows where she stands and she isn’t afraid to fight for it. She was one of the first national leaders to support our educators when they went on strike in Los Angeles last year, and the first major proposal of her presidential campaign was a monumental plan to pay teachers more.

“Kamala Harris is a brilliant choice to help lead us through the crises our nation is facing. Together, she and Joe Biden offer a vision for America’s future that’s worth fighting for.”