Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has some advice for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ahead of his expected announcement on who will be his running mate.
During an Essence Live town hall on Friday, the Democratic lawmaker made it clear she believes Biden should choose a Black woman as his vice president pick.
“Let me guarantee you this, based on everything that I know and understand, and the help that [Biden] has already gotten from the Black community… he can’t go home without a Black woman being VP,” Waters said.
She added, “We’re going to have a Black woman VP.”
Waters also stressed the importance of voting in the 2020 presidential election, “We have a responsibility to vote.”
“We can’t have people going around talking about how wonderful John Lewis was, how much he sacrificed, the beatings that he took, the way that he put his life on the line and we don’t get up and vote,” she added, referring to late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights icon. “There is no excuse.”
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Waters’ remarks on Biden’s potential running mate come ahead of the Democratic National Convention to be held on August 17-20, and amid speculation of who will be chosen as the running mate.
While he is expected to announce his running mate ahead of the convention, names have circulated of potential picks, including, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), former national security adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), among others.
This week there were changes to the Democratic National Convention plans as the nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden will not travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to accept the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but will instead “address the nation and accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware,” the Democratic National Committee statement said.