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Vice President Harris Talks Debt Ceiling, Maternal Health, and Small Biz in Exclusive Black Press Interview

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Vice President Kamala Harris, a force during her years in the U.S. Senate and as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, has continued to spearhead solutions that enable women to retain autonomy over their bodies despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation. In an exclusive interview, the vice president pledged more of the same going forward from the Biden-Harris administration.
The post Vice President Harris Talks Debt Ceiling, Maternal Health, and Small Biz in Exclusive Black Press Interview first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

May 30, 2023

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Vice President Kamala Harris was as integral to the negotiations as anyone else in helping to reach a bipartisan deal so America could avoid defaulting on its debt obligations.

Also, in two-plus years in office, the nation’s first Black and woman vice president already has carved an indelible mark on many impactful policies that have seen significant increases in small and minority-owned businesses and record low Black unemployment.

Harris, a force during her years in the U.S. Senate and as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, also has spearheaded work to help women retain autonomy over their bodies despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation.

In an exclusive interview, the vice president pledged more of the same going forward from the Biden-Harris administration.

“One of the most important aspects of where we are – and our goal was to avoid the kinds of losses [Republicans] had initially proposed – and that’s very significant,” Harris said of the bipartisan budget deal reached earlier in the week.

The deal places caps on spending for the next two years, claws back about $28 billion in unspent COVID relief money, and strips $20 billion of funds earmarked for the Internal Revenue Service.

President Biden had slotted $80 billion for the IRS to help curtail tax cheaters, but the GOP sought to protect wealthy taxpayers who primarily seek loopholes to avoid paying federal taxes.

The debt ceiling agreement restarts federal student loan payments even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of the Biden-Harris forgiveness plan.

Congress hopes to vote this week on the deal, which also added new work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.

Veterans and the unhoused are exempt from such requirements.

“We’ve been able to maintain what we needed to do to preserve social security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits. As a result, we actually see increases there,” Harris stated.

With a steady eye on the present and future, the vice president noted the administration sought to protect the economic gains made during its first two years.

“In two years, we’ve created 12.7 million jobs and 800,000 manufacturing jobs,” Harris declared.

“A lot of these issues were what we were fighting to preserve. For example, if they required [new] work requirements, we would preserve many exceptions to the requirements.”

For example, Harris noted that any requirements for veterans and those who are housing insecure were non-starters.

“Veterans and housing-insecure people, not just the homeless, would be exempt. We were not willing to compromise,” she insisted.

The debt ceiling crisis and subsequent deal reminded voters of the significance of choosing candidates who have their constituents’ best interest, Harris remarked.

“So many of the issues have to do with who is in elected office. It comes down to the power of the people to elect representatives who reflect their values,” the vice president proclaimed.

“When the majority of people on legislative bodies understand that you shouldn’t create policies on the backs of poor people, that’s policy that most respect our values,” she continued.

She pledged that the administration would keep pushing forward, stand up, and speak up about the needs of working people and families whom she said have been on the outside of politicians’ priority lists for too long.

“We’ve had to keep them on the inside of the priority list,” she said of the Biden-Harris administration.

In the fast-paced 20-minute interview, the vice president declared small business a passion.

She said her mother and “second mother,” Ms. Shelton, who lived two doors down and ran a nursery school above her childhood home, helped show her the importance of small businesses.

“Ms. Shelton was a small business owner, matriarch to the community. She was a community leader, a civic leader, who mentored people in the community,” Harris recalled.

“I was raised with an understanding of the importance of small businesses. They aren’t just business owners. They are civic leaders and community leaders and are so much a part of the community’s cultural fabric.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, I was able to work with my colleagues to get an extra $12 billion put into community banks, which are banks that are in the community who understand the community and its needs and who will create access to capital often where the big banks don’t give access to capital for our startups, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses.”

She maintained that the work has continued in her role as vice president.

Harris helped to create the Economic Opportunity Coalition, where private sector funders put money in community banks and where access to capital has increased for small business owners.

Harris gushed about a recent gathering she convened that consisted of young entrepreneurs and business leaders in tech, space, and climate work.

“They were mostly young Black men doing such innovative and good work,” she said.

“I convened to let them know what’s available to them in terms of support, access to capital, and helping them get market access. Those are some of the old barriers to those being able to achieve great success.”

Finally, the vice president demanded that women have autonomy over their bodies despite the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

She said her mom had always displayed passion and anger about existing disparities for women of color, particularly Black women.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, we began proposing legislation to address this crisis, which is a crisis,” Harris exclaimed.

“The United States of America is one of the world’s wealthiest, if not the richest, nations. [But], we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates, particularly Black women who are dying at three times the rate of others.

“When you look at Black women in connection to childbirth, it has nothing to do with economic status or educational status. It literally has to do with so often she walks into that hospital or clinic, and she is a Black woman who is not always taken seriously.

“So, I’ve been working to address a number of issues, including racial bias. We need to train medical professionals about racial bias so they can take these women seriously.

“One of my particular joys is that I’m proposing that we rely on Doulas to help teach all the other medical professionals. Doulas are women from the community who understand the importance of community health approaches to healthcare.”

Harris added that U.S. Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of North Carolina and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, among others, helped to pass the Momnibus Act of 2021, which helps protect women from bias in the medical field.

“We need to give all women access to quality care,” Harris said.

“Since I’ve been doing this work, we’ve challenged states to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum care from two months to 12 after birth. So far, 33 states and the District of Columbia have answered the call to extend postpartum care.

“These mothers need help and assurance that they are doing ok and that we care for all their needs.”

On Roe v. Wade, Harris concluded:

“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held belief to agree that the government should not tell that woman what to do with her body. That’s between her and her pastor, priest, rabbi, or whoever she decides. But, again, it’s about people’s freedom to make those decisions.

“We are seeing states across the country where they are criminalizing health care providers, giving them jail time. We see women being punished in awful ways. In Southern states, they have to pull together money to travel.

“Most women who receive an abortion are [already] mothers. So, they need money, childcare, and transportation just to exercise their right over their own body. This is a movement.

“Let’s build a coalition because these so-called leaders attacking women’s reproductive rights are the same ones attacking voting rights.

“We need federal legislation. We need Congress to put back the protections of Roe. A woman’s choice, not the government, decides what happens with her body.”

The post Vice President Harris Talks Debt Ceiling, Maternal Health, and Small Biz in Exclusive Black Press Interview first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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COMMENTARY: The National Protest Must Be Accompanied with Our Votes

Just as Trump is gathering election data like having the FBI take all the election data in Georgia from the 2020 election, so must we organize in preparation for the coming primary season to have the right people on ballots in each Republican district, so that we can regain control of the House of Representatives and by doing so, restore the separation of powers and balance that our democracy is being deprived of.

Published

5 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper. File photo..

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

As thousands of Americans march every week in cities across this great nation, it must be remembered that the protest without the vote is of no concern to Donald Trump and his administration.

In every city, there is a personal connection to the U.S. Congress. In too many cases, the member of Congress representing the people of that city and the congressional district in which it sits, is a Republican. It is the Republicans who are giving silent support to the destructive actions of those persons like the U.S. Attorney General, the Director of Homeland Security, and the National Intelligence Director, who are carrying out the revenge campaign of the President rather than upholding the oath of office each of them took “to Defend The Constitution of the United States.”

In California, the primary comes in June 2026. The congressional races must be a priority just as much as the local election of people has been so important in keeping ICE from acquiring facilities to build more prisons around the country.

“We the People” are winning this battle, even though it might not look like it. Each of us must get involved now, right where we are.

In this Black History month, it is important to remember that all we have accomplished in this nation has been “in spite of” and not “because of.” Frederick Douglas said, “Power concedes nothing without a struggle.”

Today, the struggle is to maintain our very institutions and history. Our strength in this struggle rests in our “collectiveness.” Our newspapers and journalists are at the greatest risk. We must not personally add to the attack by ignoring those who have been our very foundation, our Black press.

Are you spending your dollars this Black History Month with those who salute and honor contributions by supporting those who tell our stories? Remember that silence is the same as consent and support for the opposition. Where do you stand and where will your dollars go?

Oakland Post

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Why Black Parents Should Consider Montessori

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — I have found that there are some educational approaches that consistently provide a safer, more enriching, and more affirmative environment for Black children. The Montessori method, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori and introduced to the U.S. in the early 20th century, is one such approach.

Published

7 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

By Laura Turner-Essel, PhD

As a mother of four children, I’ve done A LOT of school shopping. I don’t mean the autumn ritual of purchasing school supplies. I mean shopping for schools – pouring over promotional materials, combing through websites, asking friends and community members for referrals to their favorite schools, attending open houses and orientations, comparing curriculums and educational philosophies, meeting teachers and principals, and students who all claim that their school is the best.

But keep in mind – I’m not just a mom of four children. I’m a mom of four Black children, and I’m also a psychologist who is very interested in protecting my little ones from the traumatic experience that school can too often become.

For Black children in the United States, school can sometimes feel more like a prison than an educational institution. Research shows that Black students experience school as more hostile and demoralizing than other students do, that they are disciplined more frequently and more harshly for typical childhood offenses (such as running in the halls or chewing gum in class), that they are often labeled as deviant or viewed as deficient more quickly than other children, that teachers have lower academic expectations of Black students (which, in turn, lowers those students’ expectations of themselves), and that Black parents feel less respected and less engaged by their children’s teachers and school administrators. Perhaps these are some of the underlying reasons that Black students tend to underperform in most schools across the country.

The truth is that schools are more than academic institutions. They are places where children go to gain a sense of who they are, how they relate to others, and where they fit into the world. The best schools are places that answer these questions positively – ‘you are a valuable human being, you are a person who will grow up to contribute great things to your community, and you belong here, with us, exploring the world and learning how to use your gifts.’ Unfortunately, Black children looking for answers to these universal questions of childhood will often hit a brick wall once they walk into the classroom. If the curriculum does not reflect their cultural experiences, the teachers don’t appear to value them, and they spend most of their time being shamed into compliance rather than guided towards their highest potential, well…what can we really expect? How are they supposed to master basic academic skills if their spirits have been crushed?

Here’s the good news. In my years of school shopping, and in the research of Black education specialists such as Jawanza Kunjufu and Amos Wilson, I have found that there are some educational approaches that consistently provide a safer, more enriching, and more affirmative environment for Black children. The Montessori method, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori and introduced to the U.S. in the early 20th century, is one such approach.

The key feature of Montessori schooling is that children decide (for the most part) what they want to do each day. Led by their own interests and skill levels, children in a Montessori classroom move around freely and work independently or with others on tasks of their own

choosing. The classroom is intentionally stocked with materials tailored to the developmental needs of children, including the need to learn through different senses (sight, touch/texture, movement, etc.). The teacher in a Montessori classroom is less like a boss and more like a caring guide who works with each child individually, demonstrating various activities and then giving them space to try it on their own. The idea is that over time, students learn to master even the toughest tasks and concepts, and they feel an intense sense of pride and accomplishment because they did it by themselves, without pressure or pushing.

I think that this aspect of the Montessori method is good for all kids. Do you remember the feeling of having your creativity or motivation crushed by being told exactly what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and why? The truth is that when presented with a new challenge and then given space, children actually accomplish a lot! They are born with a natural desire to learn. It is that spirit of curiosity, sense of wonder, and excitement to explore that Montessori helps to keep alive in a child. But that’s not the only reason that I think Black parents need to consider Montessori.

Fostering a love of learning is great. But more importantly, I think that Montessori students excel at learning to love. It begins with Montessori’s acknowledgement that all children are precious because childhood is a precious time. In many school systems, Black children are treated like miniature adults (at best) or miniature criminals (at worst), and are subjected to stressful situations that no kids are equipped to handle – expectations to be still and silent for long periods, competitive and high-stakes testing, and punitive classroom discipline. It’s easy to get the sense that rather than being prepared for college or careers, our children are being prepared to fail. Couple this with the aforementioned bias against Black children that seems to run rampant within the U.S. school system, and you end up with children who feel burned out and bitter about school by the time they hit 3rd grade.

In my experience, Montessori does a better job of protecting the space that is childhood – and all the joy of discovery and learning that should come along with that. Without the requirement that students “sit down and shut up,” behavioral issues in Montessori classrooms tend to be non-existent (or at least, the Montessori method doesn’t harp on them; children are gently redirected rather than shamed in front of the class). Montessori students don’t learn for the sake of tests; they demonstrate what they’ve learned by sharing with their teacher or classmates how they solve real-world problems using the skills they’ve gained through reading, math, or science activities. And by allowing children a choice of what to focus on throughout the day, Montessori teachers demonstrate that they honor and trust children’s natural intelligence. The individualized, careful attention they provide indicates to children that they are each seen, heard, and valued for who they are, and who they might become. Now that’s love (and good education).

As a parent, I’ve come to realize that many schools offer high-quality academics. Montessori is no different. Students in Montessori schools gain exposure to advanced concepts and the materials to work with these concepts hands-on. Across the nation, Montessori schools emphasize early literacy development, an especially important indicator of life success for young Black boys and men. Montessori students are provided with the opportunity to be

successful every day, and the chance to develop a sense of competence and self-worth based on completing tasks at their own pace.

But I have also learned that the important questions to ask when school shopping are often not about academics at all. I now ask, ‘Will my children be treated kindly? Will they be listened to? Protected from bias and bullying? Will they feel safe? Will this precious time in their lives be honored as a space for growth, development, awe, and excitement? Will they get to see people like them included in the curriculum? Will they be seen as valuable even if they don’t always ‘measure up’ to other kids on a task? Will they get extra support if they need it? Will the school include me in major decisions? Will the school leaders help to make sure that my children reach their fullest potential? Will the teacher care about my children almost as much as I do?’

Consistently, it’s been the Montessori schools that have answered with a loud, resounding ‘Yes!’ That is why my children ended up in Montessori schools, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. If you’re a parent like me, shopping for schools with the same questions in mind, I’d urge you to consider Montessori education as a viable option for your precious little ones. Today more than ever, getting it right for our children is priceless.

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

2 weeks ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.