Biden campaign vetting Congressional Black Caucus chair Karen Bass as potential running mate

Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is being vetted by former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign to potentially serve as his running mate, according to CBS News.

The outlet, which cited unnamed sources, reported that it is not clear where the five-term lawmaker stands in the vetting process.

Bass is sponsoring historic legislation in the House to reform police practices. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee last week advanced the legislation that would ban police chokeholds, mandate body cameras, make lynching a federal crime, prohibit no-knock warrants in drug cases, and establish a federal registry of officers accused of misconduct. 

The legislation comes amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. Floyd died last month after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has vowed to choose a woman to be his vice presidential pick. Other potential women candidates believed to be in the running include Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) has also said that she is on the “short list” of candidates Biden is considering.

Bass said in an interview with CBS News’s Major Garrett earlier this month that she “would certainly like to see” a woman of color chosen as Biden’s running mate, but she said it was not “imperative” for the potential Democratic ticket.  

In an interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell earlier this month, Biden said that weeks of protests amid Floyd’s death had not affected his selection process for his running mate, saying that “it’s put a greater focus and urgency on the need to get someone who is totally simpatico with where I am.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) announced last week that she was removing herself from contention to be chosen as Biden’s vice presidential pick, calling for the position to go to a woman of color.

“I’ve never commented on this process at all but after what I’ve seen in my state, what I’ve seen across the country, this is a historic moment, and America must seize on this moment, and I truly believe … I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket,” Klobuchar told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

“And there are so many incredibly qualified women, but if you want to heal this nation … this is sure a hell of a way to do it,” she added.

Bass’s office declined to comment to The Hill. Biden’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Updated: 9:34 p.m.