By Magaly Muñoz
Post Staff

Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media hosted a Zoom forum for the four candidates leading the race to represent California in the U.S. Senate to discuss issues affecting the state’s minority communities.

U.S. congressmembers Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Adam Schiff (D-CA-30) and Katie Porter (D-CA-47) participated in the forum on Feb. 8; Steve Garvey was invited but did not attend.

Here are the key takeaways from the conversations:

Safety net programs, inclusion of undocumented immigrants

All three candidates support Medicare for All and believe that healthcare is a basic human right that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of immigration status.

The candidates were also asked about child tax credits, to which both Schiff and Porter said that if parents are spending money on childcare and the rising costs of basic needs, they should be able to get refunds on those necessities. Porter stated that childcare costs should be lowered, but not at the costs of those doing the work, especially since Black and Brown women mostly make up that workforce.

“The solution to investing more in childcare is lifting up the wages, recognizing the amazing professional capacity of our caregivers, and making that federal investment in childcare,” Porter said.

Immigration reform

The candidates were asked about how they would’ve voted for a recent immigration and foreign aid package that was created without the help of border state legislators. All three candidates said they would have opposed such an approach and that the primary states that are dealing with the issues of immigration need to be involved.

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“First of all, if we’re going to be negotiating an immigration policy, I want to make sure that the members of the Hispanic Caucus have a seat at the table, which they didn’t. I want to make sure that border state Democrats have a seat at the table, which they didn’t,” Schiff said.

Lee, Schiff and Porter each also mentioned the need to find paths to citizenship for those with Temporary Permanent Status, enrollees of DACA and those who have contributed positively to California.

The Black Vote

One of the candidates will take over the Senate seat from Laphonza Butler, the only Black senator in the 100-member chamber.

As the only candidate of color, Lee emphasized that Black women are always on the frontline to champion for the rights of all underrepresented minority groups, and she will continue to push for those rights in the Senate. She stated that her history in immigrant communities also adds to her qualifications for the open seat.

“The lens that we bring, and the fact that we fight for everyone, the fact that we’ve been the backbone of the Democratic Party, we deserve a seat at that table,” Lee said.

Schiff shared that he has prioritized elevating Black and people of color’s voices in leadership positions over his term as a congressman and assures voters that if he is elected, he will continue to push for political positions to be filled by people that look like the diverse American population.

Porter stated that more needs to be done in Washington, D.C., to address racial disparities in health, education and wealth in the Black community. She added that they need to stand up against corporate America, big pharma and Wall Street who only do things for their own financial gain, and that she will continue to fight for a level playing field for all.

The primary election for the U.S. Senate seat will take place on Tuesday, March 5.

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