It’s only been a week since Sen. Kamala Harris lit a fire underneath former Vice President Joe Biden and pressed him about opposing federally mandated busing in the 1970s. After calling Biden out at the first Democratic Debate in Miami, Florida, folks are asking Harris if she would support busing to address today’s segregation.
During a campaign stop in West Des Moines, Iowa, the senator was asked about her exact stance on mandated busing, according to the Washington Post.
“I think of busing as being in the toolbox of what is available and what can be used for the goal of desegregating America’s schools,” Harris told reporters at a picnic.
“I believe that any tool that is in the toolbox should be considered by a school district.”
In the debate on June 27, Harris challenged Biden on his reputation as a civil rights advocate with receipts and a personal anecdote about having to bus to school in Berkeley, California.
Harris told Biden that there was a “failure of states to integrate public schools in America… that’s where the federal government must step in.”
Although Biden has often boasted about his support of civil rights, in 1975 he supported an anti-busing efforts led by avid segregationists Jesse Helms.
After the televised quarrel, Harris’ average support nearly doubled from 7 percent to 14.7 percent. While Biden’s support fell from 32.1 percent to 27.2 percent, CNBC reported.