Sponsored by Biden For President, Her Campus hosted a virtual press conference on Oct. 29 with New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and the Chapter Network. Her Campus Media founder, Windsor Hanger-Western and Senator Gillibrand hosted a virtual Q&A session where all chapter members were welcome. Chapter members submitted questions upon registration, and a select few were chosen and answered by the senator.
Senator Gillibrand is a democratic senator from the state of New York. Her prominent issues range from the environment to national security. Gillibrand was sworn into Congress on Jan. 26, 2009 at age 42 — entering the chamber as the youngest senator in the 111th Congress. Some of her accomplishments include leading the effort to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that banned gays from serving openly in the military, she wrote the STOCK Act (making it illegal for Congress members to benefit financially from inside information) and her arguments were successful in providing permanent health care to 9/11 first responders and survivors who suffered diseases from ground zero toxins.
She also is supporting reform to the justice system in regard to sexual assault survivors on college campuses and in the military. Senator Gillibrand built bipartisan support to her bill, which is the Military Justice Improvement Act. Additionally, she built a coalition for the Campus Accountability and Safety Act that is holding colleges accountable for on-campus sexual assault.
For this virtual press conference, chapter members’ questions varied from topics of healthcare to human rights disparities to navigating a male-dominated world.
With the election only a mere five days away, both Hanger-Western and Gillibrand stressed the importance of voting, and if you have yet to vote, it is important to have a plan.
“Voting is easy and convenient using iwillvote.com as it offers a one-stop-shop for all your voting needs,” Hanger-Western said.
Voter turnout in this election is vital in order for senators such as Gillibrand to be able to pass legislation.
“If young college-age women don’t vote, then those who get elected will not actually represent our values,” Senator Gillibrand said.
Senator Gillibrand supports women candidates across the country in an initiative called Off the Sidelines. Off the Sidelines has raised over $9 million to support women candidates across the nation. This year, Senator Gillibrand committed to raising an additional $1 million to help elect more women.
“The candidates that we support, they need our help,” Senator Gillibrand said.
Regarding the 2020 election, Senator Gillibrand emphasizes the importance of the issues on the ballot. While also answering some issue specific questions from student journalists.
“Access to health care, access to jobs and having an economy that grows and works for everyone, how we recover from this pandemic, and the economic collapse that’s followed it, is all at stake. So I hope that everyone knows how important their voice is and their views are, and that voting is one of the best ways to be heard,” Senator Gillibrand said. “I hope everyone has a plan to vote, and you understand that this is part of our democracy.”
Senator Gillibrand believes that the COVID-19 response and access to health care are some of the largest issues at stake during this election. She hopes that under a Biden Harris administration COVID-19 recovery and access to health care will improve.
“I believe healthcare is a right and not a privilege. I think it’s important that everyone has access to health care,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Reproductive rights are basic health care. I hope in the next administration we will get access to health care as a right.”
Under a Biden-Harris administration, her job will be to pass legislation that they will be willing to sign. In order to pass this legislation, the senator stressed the importance of winning the Senate and changing the White House. Without a win for the Democratic party, a lot of the legislation she discussed will be blocked.
Another student question regarding human rights disparities in the U.S. introduced the topic of institutional racism and legislation the senator is eager to write and pass.
“We are in a society right now where institutional racism is real and it affects communities of color, women of color significantly, and so what I focus on is how can we begin to eliminate institutional racism,” Senator Gillibrand said. “This is something certainly Joe Biden and Kamala Harris believe in.”
In order to eliminate institutional racism, one must go issue by issue to see where this institutional racism is affecting people. One example the senator gave was in the healthcare system. The maternal mortality rate for black women is four times higher than white women, and twelve times higher in New York City.
Additionally, graduates who are women of color statistically have a harder time getting access to capital. Senator Gillibrand aims to eliminate institutional racism in this sphere through legislation and lending programs supported by Biden and Harris.
“Using the SPA and other lending programs to fund communities and business ideas from communities that are often left behind. In fact, I have a bill right now for the next Covid relief package to do exactly that. To make sure the smaller businesses get access to capital that they’ve not gotten in the last two rounds of the PPP program,” Senator Gillibrand said.
She also hopes to eliminate cash bail and legalize and decriminalize marijuana in order to reform the criminal justice system that is profoundly impacted by institutional racism.
The senator’s values rest in helping people and giving voices to the voiceless. To any future public servant or senator, she preaches to base the platform on issues you care about. As a supporter of increasing the number of women elected, Senator Gillibrand encourages an increase of women in leadership positions, so they can set the tone and the rules to ensure a fair shot.
“I believe women have something to add,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Women have to keep pushing down barriers in all industries. We also have to hold people accountable.”
For the senator, she ran for Congress in a two to one Republican district. She ran because she wanted to make a difference. For her, volunteers made it possible for her to serve a conservative area on a progressive platform. Volunteers knocked on 20,000 doors every weekend and made 10,000 phone calls every night by the time of the election.
“To any future public servant or senator, I would just say follow your heart and follow your dreams,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Run if you want to run.”
Senator Gillibrand said to run on issues you care about, and the same thing can be said about voting. Vote with your values in mind, vote early and be some of the first to move the country forward — vote to be heard.
College-age women have a voice in this election and should use it. Women need to take on leadership in every industry. The student journalists were encouraged to pursue political reporting because women will report on issues some men disregard, such as maternal mortality legislation or paid family leave.
Nov. 3 is almost here, and hopefully, every college woman who has the ability to vote has done their civic duty and their voice heard.