tonight on kqed newsroom, we dive into a chain reaction as barbara levi's to become the next senator from california , oakland latifah simon announces her bid to fill lee's spot in congress and was speak with them both about what they want to achieve in higher office. the vibrant colors and celebratory images of the women's building mural are this week's look at something beautiful. hello and welcome to the

show. a game of political dominoes has begun, 30 years ago, dianne feinstein began her first term as a united states senator and went on to win five more elections, making her the longest serving female senator. last month, she announced she would step down, even before she declared her intent to leave office, two california members of congress had announced they would run for her seat. recently, another contender announced she would buy for the position, barbara lee. >> when it was legal to discriminate against the lgbtq plus community, i wrote the hate crimes reduction act and got a republican governo to sign it into law.

what no one wanted to talk about global aids funding, i got president george w. bush to make it a priority. for those who say my time has passed, wind is making change go out of style? >> joining us now from washington dc is congress member barbara lee, thank you for joining us. >> nice being with you. what is it that made you now decide to run for senate? >> nice being with you. first of all there are so many issues that are not being addressed in the senate as it relates to california. we have the issues of inequality that are overwhelming.

these are families that we have to fight for. housing, affordable housing, i want to fight for affordable housing and for unchartered populations in california. when you look at public safety, every community wants public safety but you don't hear the population what public safety really means for californians. when you look at the climate crisis, i want to make sure we not only address wildfires and all the floods and the climate events in california, but also address the climate crisis as a crisis and use everything we can do to make sure we protect

the planet including fighting for environmental laws. these laws, from california need to be championed in the senate for our states and the federal government, so there are many reasons why i want to run for the senate but i want to build a gap and make sure 20 million people plus know that they have a fighter who will fight to mke this economy work for them also. >> so you do have an incredible legacy and i'm curious what you would like to do going forward should you get this seat, what would you want to accomplish in your first term in office as senator? >> i want to focus on inequality. it has many issues. the california economy is not working for everyone and you have to look at why.

in california we have over 20 million people living below the poverty mind, food insecurity and public safety, every community wants public safety but we got to make sure we ensure there is real public safety for each community and the climate crisis is a big deal in california. we've passed some of the strongest climate revisions ever in the whole country, but we need to take some of provisions and take them to washington dc to make sure our national policies on climate reflect many of the positive provisions that california has passed. this is a climate crisis. when you look at our unshielded population, you see what karen bass has done it is mayor in los angeles and there are ways that you can address housing at a federal level that really will help make sure people get off the streets and get safe and decent housing and stop

being evicted in the first place so they can afford the rent and make sure they have pathways into job's, job training, mental health and ultimately a job, so we have to have better strategies on the federal government needs to take stock of how we can get these really challenges that many people face in california dealt with. >> representative, could you tell us about what you've accomplished for your district in the east bay that should convince the rest of the state to make you there next senator? >> in the east bay, of course unfocused on helping to lift people out of poverty. i've delivered as a member the many millions of dollars for my district for community-based organization. the disproportionate suffering

of covid for black and brown communities. we have one of the largest ports in the country that is an economic engine for our state and i've delivered resources for the port of oakland and when you look at the issues that we addressed in my district as it relates to criminal justice reform and you look at housing, i've delivered resources for housing and the important point is i see people who generally are not being seen. >> when it comes to who you are you are also known as someone who is generally antiwar and i think many of us are actually antiwar, nobody really wants the violence, but you recently reintroduced a bill to cut $100 billion from the defense budget and reallocate the funds elsewhere, so tell us about that measure. >> absolutely. the defense budget is out of control. taxpayer dollars are being used for areas that don't even

affect our national security, let me give you an example, we are paying for research on missile systems that will never be used. you have $100 billion, that's a drop in the bucket. the defense budget is over $858 billion, the budget that when we were in the majority that i shared on appropriation was for development and diplomatic initiatives, when you look at the balance of our national security strategy, diplomacy deserves an equal footing to prevent wars and secondly the resource is 100 billion, we could use that here in the united states for schools and healthcare and education and climate, for all of the efforts that we know will enhance the quality of life for everyone as we reduce inflation because it's disproportionately affecting poor and low-income

and working families. >> another topic you've taken on has been women's healthcare. a federal judge in texas seems likely to rule soon to restrict access to a widely used abortion pill, what do you expect would happen at that point? >> we are waiting to see what the division says, but about 50 percent of abortions are through medication abortion and this is another effort of the supreme court and the states trying to turn back the clock, trying to not allow people to make decisions over their own body. i've been working to try to repeal the heideman mint. low-income women and women of color disproportionately, the full range of reproductive health care including abortion care so i have legislation to repeal the height amendment, we have 180 cosponsors and we are building sport to repeal that so there are many issues that i've championed as a member of the pro-choice caucus to make

sure that after the dogs to send that we go back and support codifying the women's health protection act. we've got to get that done but we also have to make sure that people throughout the country have access to abortion care, this is really a life or death issue and this medication abortion court decision, again, we are waitingto see what the outcome is but i led the letter to say that it should be available over the counter at drugstores so i've been working on this for many years and it's very sad, but we will keep fighting. >> one of the common experiences of being a black female politician is unfortunately that it's very difficult to raise money. you've spoken about this in the past and in this race, congress number adam schiff starts out with about $21 million,

congress member porter has about 7 million and reportedly you have about $52,000 so how are you tackling this challenge because money matters still when it comes to elections. >> money matters in a very big way especially in california. secondly there have always been challenges and barriers for people of color and women to run in races that are competitive and to raise the type of money that others can raise, we don't have that ability to do that because of the structural issues in the political system and thirdly, we need to get the campaign- finance reform and have public finance of campaigns which i supported and continue to support and having said that we are raising the money and we will raise enough money to run our campaign the way we will run our campaign and win. >> another obstacle you are facing is that people say that barbara lee, she's the oldest of the pack, she 72, what are your concerns about age with anyone serving in the senate?

there have been concerns about senator dianne feinstein, the oldest are serving u.s. senator. you think there should be an age limit when it comes to public service particularly in the senate? >> voters make decisions. i don't think this should be an age limit, in terms of our democracy, voters have a right to vote for who they want to in a right to vote out elected officials who they think are not doing a good job. i have a wealth of experience. right now with the maga extremist republicans and what's taking place in the senate, you need somebody who will stand strong and fight against this and who has been part of the resistance movement and been able to fight for democracy and fight for what is right all of her life and who can deliver, the experience quite frankly matters a lot. >> thank you for your time. >> it was nice being with you, thank you.

as representatively announced her bid for senate, latifah simon announced her bid to fill lee's seat in congress this week. simon has been politically active in the bay area for two decades and is recognized nationally as a civil rights leader. she's racked up an impressive list of endorsements already including multiple assembly mirrors members. when she was just 26 years old she became the youngest woman to receive a macarthur genius grant, she is also a director on the bart board and the california state university board trustee. >> as a young mom and a youth organizer, working with young women who were being trafficked in the underground street economy, as someone who myself had been in the juvenile justice system, i decided very early on the government wasn't working for folks with no voice. i'm latifah simon and am running for congress. >> joining us now to discuss

her run for congress is latifah simon. thank you so much for being here. >> thank you. >> as you step into this race for congress, what do you most want people to know about you? >> in the san francisco bay area, for 29 years i've woken up in the morning and gone to sleep, fighting for folks like me and folks like the people who live across the street from me and young people who've not been served well by systems for elders or folks struggling for voice and leading institutions from the young women's freedom center working with young women on the streets and young women in institutions to running the lawyers committee for civil rights for five years and expanding those programs, to then going to work for san francisco then district attorney, harris and creating and running one of the nation's most lauded reentry efforts. i'm ready to go. i've been deeply supported by folks in this community to do

the right thing, to lead, and i have long since been an admirer of the work of congressman barbara lee and when she announced she was going to take that leap, her own dream to represent us in the united states senate, it was my time to announce and to run a campaign and i'm going to run and i'm going to win and i'm going to govern in the ways in which we've been taught in the bay area to fight for justice and for what's right. >> you talked about a lot of your professional accomplishments. you've also been shaped by many personal experiences that have brought you to where you are today, as a young woman you were arrested for shoplifting, you were inside the criminal justice system yourself, you were a teenage mother and sadly her husband passed away in 2014 and you are legally blind. there are a lot of threads there, so how do they come together to shape who you are inside? >> the shaping of me is very similar to what most young people in the bay area have

seen and witnessed. we live in a vibrant community. when i was in middle and high school i got in a little trouble. thank goodness the bay area is what it is and i was shaped and groomed by community programs that taught me how to fight for what was right and taught me how to challenge power and taught me how to be a mentor to other young women facing very similar challenges. i had a baby when i was young, i was a teenage mom and with her on my hip, by the way she's graduating from law school in three months. i'm so excited. i've worked as not only a young mother but as an organizational leader and a strategist and someone who went to college a lttle late and recently graduated from grad school myself, with the premise and the promise that everything i've been through, i owe it to folks in the community, not only to give it back but to advocate so that their material conditions will be better based

on my commitment to fight for them, so losing my husband, the love of my life to cancer, being by his bedside day in and day out, watching him fight for a breath, coming out even having good insurance, after he passed away, i was in crippling debt. i filed bankruptcy and i had to pick myself back up and the community surrounded me in doing so and again, not only telling the story but making sure that i'm an ally for other folks going through indescribable pain, what is needed and i got it, i got community support, people literally putting rent money under my door to make sure me and my daughters had a place to live. this is the american dream, that will will fall down and get back up and what is required is a strong safety net. that's why am running. i've watched congresswoman lee tell the same stories and turn

those stories into good policy and law and bring back resources to our district. i owe our community but i also owe my mentor to step up and do what's right and to defend the american people and the people of the bay area, our stories, wants, hopes and dreams in the halls of congress. >> you've seen leadership from congressman barbara lee and another mentor of yours is vice president, harris and you work for her as you mentioned very early in your career when she was still a district attorney on a reentry program, let's and recidivism program and you saw her today on the tarmac, she's in town for a little while so tell us about your relationship with her and perhaps some advice she's given you that's really stuck with you over the years.

>> a lot of learning. when i was a young woman in the head of the young woman's freedom center, an organization working to end the trafficking of young women who were involved in the street economies and the sex industry, she was a deputy city attorney and called me out of the blue and said i'm developing a task force because on the streets of san francisco the police are resting and charging girls who are being raped and traffic . she said bring some young women to this first meeting that will be in city hall. don't worry, i will take care of you. she developed the task force and over the coming two years she was victorious and ended the practice of arresting and charging girls who are being trafficked in sentences go and instead providing a victim and survivor model. this was before her run for district attorney, she became a deep mentor to me and the biggest lesson that i've learned from our vice president, she said as a black woman, you must come to work early and leave late, you must be excellent and admit where

you are wrong, study longer, read everything. the first day i worked for her, i came to run her reentry programs because of my own program i ran we reduced recidivism amongst young women by 90 percent and she wanted to replicate that model in her office, but i came with jeans on a sweatshirt and she sent me home that day and said if you're going to work for the people, the good people of san francisco, if you're going to the fillmore a hunters point or sunnydale, you're going to convince those young people to join what we are going to do to change the criminal justice system, use show up with deep respect. she told me to come back the next day with a suit, but it's that kind of excellent. >> did you have a suit? >> no. i wore what i had the next day, a little button up and slacks and she had a bag for me and she had a suit. that suit was too small, but she said the people deserve you

to come in as your best and i worked for her for five years and our program became a model across the nation for district attorney's who wanted to do something different instead of just throwing young people away but address the root cause of the issue and support those people but i can't tell you, from again, congresswoman lee, vice president harris and others, i've been meant toward by some of the most amazing women in public service. >> they have also faced a lot of opposition over the years and some of that they attribute to the color of their skin. do you find that as a woman in elected office, as a black woman, do you find there are hidden obstacles? >> of course. again, vp harris told me, learn how to eat no for breakfast, show up early, leave late and

understand that people may not perceive you or want you to be in a position of leadership, but again, knowing what we are therefore, knowing what my assignment is, every morning that i wake up is to serve and push boundaries and not only to be a voice, but to get something done. i've learned that from the best and often time we don't get fair coverage. often times we are not expected to finish the job, but watching and learning, i know that's my responsibility to finish the job, whatever it is. when i was the president of bay area rapid transit board during covid in two months into my presidency i learned, we learned that after the closure of the bay area and the nation, really the world, that transit would be in trouble. >> let's talk about issues that bart is still facing, because bart is still facing trouble, they are facing financial údiff agencies are in many places but there are also serious concerns that it's not using its money

wisely. and this week, state senator steve glazier stepped down from a senate committee that was tasked with advocating for more transit funding for bay area transit agencies and he said, what concerns him is fraud, the conflict of interest, a few weeks ago the office of inspector general pointed out that bart set aside $350,000 to deal with the issue of homelessness and they've only helped one person and your fellow bart board member deborah allen says bart needs reform and not more money. she said we need to fundamentally transform the way bart operates and instead the majority of art board directors, unions and executive staff continue to focus on the more money please approach that will only produce more of the same failed policies we see now. you've advocated in the past for police reform, what are you advocating for now? >> as someone who is transit

dependent, i think, one, we keep the trains running and make sure the system is equitable and as a board member, i've been the head of our finance committee and i've deeply supported oversight. it's extremely important that we use the dollars we get an away that furthers the opportunity for folks to use transit. no one on our board is oppositional to oversight, what is important now is that we make sure that our state actors and federal actors with bart but also the 26 providers in the bay area have what we need to be able to continue to move forward. folks who aren't transit dependent have a lot to say about art and other transit providers in my job is to keep us moving at the same time, ensure that we are providing clear oversight and accountability for the money that does come in. this is a system that operates in five counties that uses rail and has almost 4000 employees, every decision we make should

be about fiscal asperity, we need to make sure we are doing the right thing, but my job will forever be to put transit justice, equity, and access at the center of the conversation. >> thank you for coming in today as you launch a campaign for congress. >> thank you. it is a home for emergent live women led project since 1979. the san francisco women's buildin is covered in a vibrant mural celebrating the accomplishments of female leaders. as one of the first women owned and operated community centers in the country, more than 170 organizations traced their roots to within its walls. this week something beautiful is the san francisco women's building, a begin of empowerment in the heart of the mission district.

that is the end of our show for tonight and will see you right back here next week when we sit down with the california environmental protection agency secretary about her new role. if you would like to share your

comments or questions for secretary garcia, you can email us or also find kqed newsroom online or on twitter . thank you for joining us, have a great weekend and we will see you right back here next friday night. >> the 2024 presidentiale

takes shape.e 2024 presidentiale >> we created more jobs in two years and any other presidential term in american history. >> president biden delta's economic agenda. >> still, offering no clues about his expected announcement of a reelection bid. plus, >> this feels like maga country. >> republican events offer a preview of the parties divide. >> woke left states are failing and freedom focused states are succeeding. >> contenders for the gop nomination sharpen messages and gear up for 2024 next. >> this is washington week. corporate funding is provided

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