May 12, 2019

Kamala Harris Just Said We’re “Probably” Facing a Constitutional Crisis

The California senator also called for “seriously” taking a look at breaking up Facebook.

State of the Union/CNN

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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Sunday that the Unites States is potentially facing a constitutional crisis,echoing comments this week from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“A constitutional crisis is generally when the system we set up with checks and balances, when each of the independent co-equal branches of government, fails to perform its duties and I think we’re seeing the breakdown of responsibilities,” she said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union, pointing to the lack of cooperation from Attorney General William Barr and the White House with Congress.

“Now being a member of the US Congress and Senate, I’m seeing up close where there is a failure to respect the significance of Congress’ duty to preform a role of oversight over the administration, over the agencies,” the presidential hopeful told Tapper. “I’m seeing the failure to appreciate the importance of testifying before Congress in a way that is straight forward and truthful, so yes I think it’s fair to say that we’re looking at a crisis not only of confidence but potentially, a constitutional crisis.” 

During the interview, the California Senator who represents Silicon Valley also said that she’d like to see “serious regulation” on Facebook because it has experienced massive growth and it has prioritized growth over the best interest of its consumers, especially in the issue of privacy. “I think we have to seriously take a look at” breaking up the company, she said, touting her experience protecting consumer privacy as California attorney general.

“There are very few people that can actually get by and be involved in their communities or their society without somehow somewhere using Facebook, it’s very difficult for people to be engaged in any level of commerce without it,” Harris said. “We have to recognize it for what it is. It is essentially a utility that has gone unregulated and as far as I’m concerned that has to stop.” 

Harris’ comments follow one of the company’s co-founders suggesting the same earlier this week. Her fellow senator and presidential contender Elizabeth Warren has also called for breaking up Facebook, as well as other tech giants.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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