Kamala Harris to Mike Johnson: “That girl is Balancing”
Vice President Kamala Harris has responded to a Republican congressman from Louisiana who described her as “that girl.”
Harris spoke about the remark from Rep. Mike Johnson during an interview with BET News that was set to air Thursday evening. Asked about the criticism, Harris said with a laugh: “That girl is balancing as well as she can.”
Johnson made the remarks on Tuesday at a Republican Study Committee press conference. He said Republicans disagree with Harris on many issues but the party needs to be “respectful in tone and substance.”
Harris told BET News that she was “raised in a way that is about not hearing no and understanding that no one can tell you who you are.”
She added, “I’m Black and I’m proud of being Black. I was raised in a way that was about being proud of who I am and not needing anybody else’s approval or validation. I was raised to not hear ‘no’ or ‘can’t.'”
Harris also criticized Senate Republicans for using the filibuster to prevent voting rights legislation from passing.
“I do believe that on the issue of voting rights, for a number of important exceptional moments in the history of our country, it is time for us to do what we have done in the past, which is to recognize when the moment and the moment and the history of the moment require us to challenge the status quo and to act accordingly,” Harris said.
She added, “For too long in this country, voting rights have been held out of reach, especially for people of color. And we must act and act quickly to protect the rights of all Americans to vote.”
In a statement to The Associated Press, Johnson did not apologize but said his comments to the press conference were meant to be lighthearted. He said Republicans will continue to criticize the Biden administration’s policies “regardless of race or gender.”
Harris told BET News that her mother, who was Indian, taught her and her sister to be proud of their heritage.
“I think for me, our experience in Govan has been a blessing because it has kept us grounded in terms of knowing who we are,” Harris said.