Im director crust call. Crystal. Welcome to todays program with former congresswoman katie hill. Her new book, shes arrived. She will be in conversation with [inaudible] if youd like to ask either of them a question during this programming you can do that in either the comment or chat section of the live stream that youre watching. The Commonwealth Club has temporarily suspended inperson events, but during this pandemic we are running full speed ahead with a full slate of programs. Most of these programs are free to the public, we do ask that you consider donating to help us continue our work. You can visit us at commonwealthclub. Org online to learn more, and you can also text the word donate to 4153294321 life during this program live during this program. Now, please join me in welcoming katie hill. Thanks. Im nina kim, and im the cohost of the live talk show forum, and today i get to be in conversation with katie hill. Katie served as u. S. Representative for californias 25th Congressional District which includes parts of los angeles and ventura counties. She resigned after nude photos of her were published, so her new book is aptly titled she will rise becoming a warrior in the battle for true equality, and if youd like to ask katie hill a question, you can ask it in the chat on youtube or in the comments on facebook. So lets get started, and thank you so much for joining us, katie hill. Thank you. So great to be here. So you flipped a longtime remoney district. And, i mean, thats actually a district i know very well. I grew up in that district for part of my life, and, i mean, so to say that you were a long shot candidate when you first made your bid is probably an understatement. Can you talk about what its meant to run [inaudible] sure. Well, you know, to start out, i was never planning on becoming a politician, you know . I was working in the Nonprofit Sector, i was the ebbs etive director of executive director of [inaudible] they are the largest Homelessness Service provider in the state of california, and i was so passionate about that issue. When donald trump won, it became clear so much that we were fighting for was at risk, and i needed to do something more. I thought i could get involved in the midterms somehow. I didnt even know that my district was on the table for one of the districts that could be flipped. Then i found out it was one of the most important ones, that Hillary Clinton had won it by seven points. But, you know, so i thought, okay, im going to try and get involved in the campaign, this is so exciting. And, you know, i looked around, and there was nobody running great yet, and the person who was the likeliest to run who was the one before. I also wanted to really support a woman. Im complaining about this, im like weve got to get the right person to run, and finally somebody said to me, katie, why dont you run . At first i laughed, then i thought about it more. Then i was like, well, if donald trump can run for president and one, why with cant i run for congress and win . So i was running as somebody who, you know, i was to the years old when 29 years old when i entered the race, like i said, never did debates, never did any of the model United Nations or any of the things people do if theyre planning on going into politics. I was and i knew that id lived a life, to right . Id lived a life where i was, you know, ive done things, ive done human things. And so i tried to be really up front about that during my candidacy, and i knew that if people were going to elect me, it was going to be because i was a human and because i was respect ty of their own representative of their own Life Experiences and, you know, the things that theyd been through. And so, you know, it was, it was such a long shot campaign, and it started out with just me and my family and some friends, and, you know, it slowly grew. It started off as just this scrappy kind of, this crazy idea. We were up against a person who had been backed by the Democratic Party previously who had all the labor support, all the kind of institutional support, but we built it as a grassroots effort that was about, you know, rallying people around this idea that we want regular people who are in it for the right reasons, not in it for, you know, in it for power for money or anything else. Or somebody with you, just letting people know this is what you get and people responded to that. Part of what from reading your experiences you want other women to realize they can have the story, and become elected and people appreciate that. One thing that became clear in terms of reading your book is you are concerned about what happened to you will display other women from pursuing that, something needs to happen, other people say you should be the person to run but being afraid to run. I want to talk about what happened and how you have not had let it get you down. Shortly before you were elected you tried to split from your husband. What did he think . Guest i want to talk about the book but he told me if i left he would ruin me. Important context for people who havent read it or dont know my story, were not officially divorced which is a separate issue. Sexual assaults and a relationship, i want my experience to be a warning and younger women should learn from it, relationships i wish i had been aware of early on but it was an abusive relationship that i needed to get out of, but as it gets worse and worse, more of a possibility i would be elected he was losing control over me. When he left i said he would ruin me and this was a month before the election. After i was sworn in, i was coming into my own but as it stood, every time i had to come back and stay at my hotel i was afraid, have anxiety 4 days and didnt know what was going to happen and i knew i had to get out and came with my dad and left for real and he ultimately made good on a thread he made before. And how to be human and what theyve done in the past, from running for that. My case is convoluted for a number of reasons. I wasnt completely innocent, i had this inappropriate relationship with a staffer, there are important differences, i take responsibility for it, i dont want to be one of the people asking us, to make an exception for what we are pushing for altogether. Today, and was an executive director of the Democratic Party out of state, out of here is a new dimension used against her and she talked about how she was on trajectory for something but now it is in the back of her head that will come back out if she decided to run, the crime was committed against you. They had the opportunity to say it shouldnt be something that holds on. Getting ahead of that, something against you, before everything goes down. Host he had sent these photos, i dont think it is. A journalistic publication nonetheless, i guess that is not the first thing you felt, a criminal act being done to you. Guest the first thing i felt was a sinking feeling that he did exactly what i was afraid of and i thought i had escaped, out from under his control in conjunction with the rightwing media, to show that that is not true and the ability to not just attempt to ruin my life but affect the lives of so many other people who were more innocent than i was. The people who supported me and felt represented by me or counting on representation that i was giving them and the effects of that are longstanding and the work that will help to balance that out and what was lost and we lost the seat to the republicans and hope we gain it back in november. So many thoughts go through your mind when that happened. This thing i was so afraid of is actually happening. Guest host when you encounter people you wonder if they have seen something meaningful for the first time. Do you still think that . Guest part of my recovery, Development Since this happens, to come to terms with the reality, and parts of those images. They know the contents of them. That is part of my history, and one thing that defines me, that is the legacy, the imprint, not the whole thing. That is something to think about how to overcome that, the impression you need to make in your mind while maintaining confidence for what you are trying to convey in that moment. Host something that struck me, for which the photos get out, whether they are put on social media, that is often the way but go through journalism, you have to make a decision, you should publish these, a persons life should be affected publishing such photos but parts of the story i do think you step back and think about. Something you are clear about judge guest i dont think it would be as sensationalized, and so much about that, cant put a finger on what it is and it comes down to click bait. The hypersexual as a nation, by women, and in relationship with another women, and the journalistic standards the choices that were made, not just a choice made to publish them, they were distributed in the first place before the ultimate decision to publish was made. We are pursuing our options in terms of civil liability but we are trying to be careful about it and there isnt Something Like this. It is something i feel a lot of responsibility for, people have nude photos they took themselves and sends to people with the expectation of confidentiality or the cyber exploitation is a horrifically common occurrence, more women moving into positions of power. If the media is a political enemy, if your vindictive exes think this can be used to take you down, it will be used has a problem. It is the responsible transmission of mine to stop that from happening. The daily mail and red state, and they had an affair with a Campaign Staffer and struck by something, publicly calling out the lockdown, to hold people accountable for any transgression to achieve some balance. Whether or not it is appropriate to redesign in that relationship or whether you feel like the situation the too is trying to tackle or go too far, the situation may too is trying to tackle is difficult, there is a moment of transition. My election is reflective of that, the relationship with the woman in question started before me too blue up. This isnt an excuse. It is a fact. This longshot thing that i didnt feel like an employer, i would never have considered having a relationship with colleagues or subordinates, something about the campaign, my judgment was, i dont know, i dont know what the word is, jeopardized, but it is an employer situation. Not a possibility of winning. Given that i wasnt even cognizant of Power Dynamics to be responsible for, dont think it is right or wrong for how women are treated in the workplace or in general, or in their relationships or safety and security. Hand and and everything people did before, Different Levels of what they were held accountable for, it was straight up wrong. Things that we as a society were not wrapping our heads around. Something Everyone Needs to grapple with. Young men to say before me too, when this was normal and even if you watch movies from the early 2000s you are shocked by some of the things they say or the way just brushed off the we were expected to laugh at. How do we want people to make amends . We want them to change their behavior, but what does it look like and what is our expectation for taking account of those actions and moving forward . I dont think we have answered that. Socalled gray areas we need to grapple with. At the time that you resigned i would love you to talk about what you were doing. You have accomplished things, you were definitely seen as a rising star, given leadership positions, they could really do things. Talk a little bit about your experience just so people can understand what it is you are saying is worth the potential exposure or coming in as part of this wave of young people and women in particular elected in 2018, a backlash to donald trump, it felt like we had hit rock bottom and a wakeup call by seeing Hillary Clinton who so many of us recognized she was the most qualified you could be, a great president , and beaten by this person we couldnt possibly imagine being our president and seeing four years of it and the consequences of it it felt like we can come out of this hold we are in as a country and start to address the misogyny that led us here and it will take a lot of work but we can ultimately get there. A lot of us got there with a little more expectation how to change things quicker than is possible especially in the back of your head we have a Republican Senate and donald trump is president and the house is only capable of doing so much and it is a slower process but many of us coming from purple districts have a little hope in bipartisanship and that hope was absolutely dashed quickly as far as i was concerned but it felt like a moment of excitement and people who had never run for office, changing politics, in response to the feeling of political discontent and that your belief was not working for regular people. That energy moves into that, hr one as a major piece of legislation, getting big money out of politics and returning power to the people. That is a changemaking history making moment we continue on that momentum into the next congress and hopefully a Democratic Senate and different person in the white house that we can get that signed. It will be transformative moving forward. You can feel the possibilities change, in terms of who is holding power, it wasnt like the old way and as elected, freshman representatives leadership i was one of the two people responsible for conveying that urgency, priorities of the class, concerns of the class goes from the entire range of districts where trump won by 16 or 17 points where Alexandria Ocasio Cortez or iona presley where they defeated democratic incumbents. Moving into that, me, regular person never plan on holding office, daughter of a Police Officer and the nurse, suddenly in the most powerful room of congress, sitting literally in some cases right next to the speaker talking about how these laws would be passed or how these laws would be passed in the order they would be going in and how we were going to push against the president s terrible policies on xyz and the messaging and communication of democrats in response to all of this it was such an honor and privilege to be part of that. Even though i wasnt there for a long time i was able to make contributions in that first critical year where we set the agenda and showed what was possible under democratic solutions. Your decision to resign . Guest i wouldnt say it was something i still sometimes grapple with, was it the right decision, what i have made the same decision were my more experienced in the public eye for longer. If my relationship wasnt such a factor, not the photos or vice versa, the moment i think i made the wrong call was when we lost the seat in that special election. I didnt believe that was possible, the district had changed. We didnt want a republican representing us anymore. And hands we hope the changes in that, and supporters of how dare you, we had to grapple with that responsibility. And make it into the white house. And think about what is possible in the leadership needed from our representatives in congress and how critical it is we get these bills passed and signed, my skill set or power or influence, the reconciliation i had to make, i have to make it worthwhile, using my relationships and things we learned through the process, the we were getting from the outside and learned a lot about washington. I am hopeful about it. When the swearingin happens, it is going to be i hope to be there, once you are a member, lifetime access to the floor and congratulate people that are a and maintain my relationships with them. It blows my mind this was nine months ago, really hasnt been that long. We have been getting questions from audience members, you can enter your questions on facebook and youtube and on a policy question how can we resolve our housing challenges, californias most intractable force. San francisco and la is a huge one. The first one is we have to encourage development but when we are talking about development it needs to be strategic. One of the things that happens most is in cities i will choose San Francisco as an example because it is so clear, if you are just encouraging building but not saying part of it needs to be for people, part or all has to be for people who are low or middle income, not the wealthiest, prices continue to skyrocket. We have to deal with commuting issues around it too. Covid19 is an amazing opportunity to rethink work, we may not need to be concentrated in cities in the 21stcentury. Look at what we are doing now, more people are realizing their jobs are not ones that have to be done in person as much and i am hopeful in terms of the longterm we will see more people moved to places like North Carolina and the midwest, places they came from, your families came from because you came to la or new york or San Francisco for opportunities may be now you continues to have those careers or into so from communities that have been abandoned. That disbursement if we are able to disperse people, makes a huge ease on the housing burden, and the impact are going to be, people who are going to prioritize it and one of the things Everybody Needs to remember is this is the power of local elections, the policies that happen as part housing go, at the city, state and county levels, not the federal, to prioritize and fund it and the local leadership will make the biggest impact and it is a longterm problem. I think we will see homelessness increase. It is a consequence that is pretty dire not recognized in future cities. Host nancy writes do you have advice for folks entering more involved in politics, the first time is all about which is where you are challenging a lot of energy of what i can do now for the decision. The first, talking about young people, as far as young people go, a generation talking about millennials plus the next generation, we dont have a choice anymore, but maybe we get involved in politics, maybe sometime i should care about it. The crazies we are facing our right now. In california we see record high temperatures, there will be communities in our own state that become unlivable in the next we 10 years if things continue the way they are and our generation is not just going to deal with it down the road, and we know at a basic level we cant address these things, and we dont have to run. And whether it is Climate Change or housing, and to say, you cant wait for somebody to do it. There is nobody else. It is our moment to take responsibility for it and have to. Makes it a little more empowering, something you are choosing to do, it is easier to go away. The whole thing was terrible and i want to move on with my life and do Something Else. But if you realize, your responsibility, your obligation, duty to our country and our world you will find a way to grapple through it. Women in abusive relationships, with covid19 weve heard about this. A situation for survivors experiencing women or men, has become such a difficult time. Relisted resources, you can go to the website, we put a number of key researches on Domestic Violence when you look at those national Domestic Violence hotlines, just to be able to use those resources, but what they do, Domestic Violence hotline, talking to a victim, to develop an escape plan, what are the things you need to think through to get out of the situation and it is incredibly difficult. Their incomes have been totally affected and their partners, their abusers, that they used to be in. It is very difficult but resources out there, there are not enough shelters or systems that socially we put in place, underfunded, and the hotlines that will create individual plan to handle the situation. In an abusive relationship, to overcome to realize it was Domestic Violence . So many women, in a relationship like this, it is not necessarily that you are getting punched in the face but other forms of abuse. The gas lighting that happens and the psychological manipulation you internalize it to think everything is your fault and you are a person who has a problem or been a bad partner or a bad spouse or whatever punishment you are getting so working through that there is a major denial element. I know i did this. When friends or family members said this doesnt look like a healthy relationship, i would get mad and stop talking to them at times. Not able to deny it and even being in the campaign and recognizing and internalizing my own power, i was able to say this is and how it should be, i would not say this is okay. Ive done a lot of therapy, working with a therapist during all of this. It is still hard, what was abusive or wasnt abusive, i had a whole chapter to talk about these abusive behaviors that are not as obvious as we typically thought of as the mystic violence. Do you feel youre still unpacking the psychological impact that it has an come up for you when you get into this relationship. The way you are your selfconfidence is impacted, the decision to resign, i wonder how much of that was affected by things are my fault and i didnt deserve to be there in the first place or that i was found out for being the person, i dont know, tricks people into, this is the stuff he said, these are the things, the Emotional Abuse behind it that i was basically, convinced everybody else it was Something Else that i was Something Else. When you are barraged by these photos and everything around it and the imposter syndrome we all feel in a position of power, did have an impact on me, that i should have stuck it out. I have therapy tomorrow and i will be unpacking all of that and on a weekly basis with my family and friends. It is something i anticipate dealing with for years to come. Host this is the question you often here. Do you see yourself entering politics in the future . Guest i give the same answer when i hear this. I never want to say never just because i know how i ended up in this in the first place but i have a responsibility to figure out what my impact can be outside politics to encourage so many women who will be were incredibly talented and have skills i dont that have a voice i dont and have experiences i havent had that deserve an opportunity to be elevated and maybe i will be able to support in some capacity. I dont know. I might find a point my biggest impact could be back in Public Office of some kind but might also not be and now that we are having more conversations about peoples color, women of color are the least represented so i am thinking about being a white woman, if there is a woman of color that can run especially in a state like california that is so diverse, should i even . That is something unique to women that men dont often stop and say do i have to be the one, but we will see. I dont see it in the immediate future. Host you reminded me of the whole thing that happened, one of the first reactions was to write a letter saying his wife is sorry for what she did. It just kills me that whole situation. My twitter on that, things that i could say now. Host on youtube, thank you for your honesty. Have you seen it representing fairly, we need more transparency. Guest i assume you are talking about the initial ones that follow my campaigns and yet i definitely saw that, did a followup recently with me that was a shorter one. Of the reason i decided to do it against all recommendations was i think people do need to see how campaigns work and what it is like once people are elected and we are seeing the impact of this generational change in congress with what Alexandria Ocasio Cortez does, how she prepares for hearings and that is the kind of thing we need to know to figure out how to change the system or feel like the system is working or is representing us so i am excited about the fact that there are more people, who are willing to pull back the curtain and talk about it openly and honestly. Some people might have seen on hbo a documentary called the swamp, matt gates being one of them, but i had a brief scene in their and despite everything wrong with matt gates and his position, the fact that he was willing to let people see the side that so many politicians hide is part of how we do change the system. Unexpectedly someone who came out in support of you going through what you were going through. Lynn has a question, how can the media influence political discourse without women and minorities feeling encouraged to run for office, you were talking about encouraging women of color to run. Im glad lynn asked the question because i do think so much encouragement comes from centering and reflecting the experiences of women of color, black Indigenous People of color, their voices simply havent been there, their stories havent been the central lens for people to see that reflected in the stories being told and the conversations we are having on radio and live shows that would be my answer. Do you have any thoughts . I agree and the media calling out areas of sexism and watching and monitoring themselves for when they engage in gender kind of commentary. When Kamala Harris said stuff leading up to her nomination as vp when people talk about her being too ambitious. Really did a bad job of that focusing on Hillary Clintons flaws compared to donald trump, creedence given to any of the nonsense that he said whereas she was ripped apart for everything. Those things seem to be closely followed and we are doing a better job of it this time around. I learned a lot in the last four years but still a long way to go. Host young people seem disillusioned by having to vote for biden. How do we validate them while encouraging them to vote . Host guest two things to say. The first is very bluntly do. Come on. Weve got to get rid of trump. This is the option so just get over it. That is one side, my sister, that is what i said to her with hillary before but this time around she is already there. More acknowledging it, where we see the most important changes are in the representation that reflects the most levels, what we are seeing at local municipal offices more so but the house is the place i think we have to get that diverse city, not that we shouldnt fight for it but before we can reasonably expect our values to be reflected for the entire country if it is not even reflected for our own communities, the most progressive regions if you dont have an incredibly progressive representative there, young people, i am for all these progressive policies, at every level you want to be most passionate about and federal policies you care about it should be your member of congress. Congress is every two years, that is not a progressive way. That is where you change things over. With the house of representatives we have now, even though may be far more moderate than we want we still accomplished and pass all these bills that are historic, people pay, the equality act and all the things that were passed, if we dont have trump out of office, that is why it is so important to elect in november to get them out of the office. This time, i would rarely say this but vote against trump, vote for somebody who will prioritize the Democratic Values we are fighting for. Those changes at the congressional level. People are enthusiastic, as involved in politics for 2022 as they are in president ial politics you could change things entirely. Host cara rights i wonder how we can change so young women are not subject to an interrogation of sexual lives, how to describe the bizarre fascination of womens past erotic lives . Guest i wish i had the answer to that. It is a matter of us all calling it out and saying it isnt physical and we should be embracing or not caring about peoples pasts and that is where the situation was complicated. Not just whatever i did before entering public life and i slept around and whatever it is somebody did before hand, should be absolutely contribute to the experiences so many of us have that are not reflected but been hidden, especially men have done all kinds of kinky stuff but it hasnt been exposed. Now that we have social media especially the fascination with womens sexuality, we have to call it out. Taro wants to know, how do you see these careers impacting how Congress Members represent their constituents . Such a great question. When young people when i was running ask what i should do that they want to run for office or involved in politics what they should do, work in a nonprofit. Wherever it is you think you have gotten an interest in doesnt need to be Political Science or law school, do something in the community that is addressing the issue you are passionate about, you will learn the skills you need to take to any representation you are committed to. The truth, you need a broad set of experience. My roommate was a nurse who worked on the policy side. She has got this framework for the things she can work on, any lawyer who has the typical background on politicians or businessmen that they wouldnt have, we had hayes elected in my class, teacher of the year a couple years ago, she brought up on the education and Workforce Committee brings up these things. If you havent worked in the classroom a policymaker wouldnt even think of and when it came to housing and Mental Health and other areas, just a blank slate, elected officials might look like it. Also it is a different form of governance working in the Nonprofit Sector or social services you know what it takes, you look at human value in a different way. You take a trajectory, a career, i am sure there are plenty of lawyers watching but it is a typical pathway for politics, they never managed people, part of becoming a lawyer, you can argue, come up with laws or read laws but overseeing people and being a leader is a piece of it all that is often missed, hope to see more diverse background and experience. You have been watching some of the are in the sea. I have been seeing on twitter what has been happening on the recap. A colleague how california, the poster child for republicans guest they hate us. They think we are awful. Host your reaction to that. What you were saying earlier. Put that in perspective. One in 7 americans from california, that is a huge number. A massive number. Most of us, theres a reason so many of us move here and stay here, the weather helps certainly but it is a great place to live. Many of us are proud of the policies being enacted by democrats in control, we have unique problems and challenges, the urban settings, Climate Change we are facing and economic challenges to communities like ours, you have never lived here if you dont feel this giant discontent. That is my reaction, most of the time, it is hard to be back home. Including this other passing. I will always be a californian and i am proud of that and most californians are as well. They just dont get it. Host two questions. One is how do you navigate inspiration in these Uncertain Times . Guest good question, they have all kinds of questions. I find inspiration at certain times. I would say that you have to be looking anywhere you can find it and i think it is in the daytoday actions of people, for frontline workers, people sacrificing their health and safety to take care of the rest of us and young people fighting to make change and even the protests, i was in dc the night trump called in the National Guard and everything like that i have to go out and that was the moment that compels me to go out and join the protest but young people willing to risk everything, personal safety and their lives, that is inspiring and the fact we have these nurses and healthcare professionals, my mom is a nurse and in charge of a large hospital in la county, house supervisor, the makeshift, over the hospital and because of covid19 patients are not able to have visitors. They are on their own. Many people dying alone and the only ones they have are the nurses and the only link families have to their loved ones, this incredibly hard extra burden to be settled with that they are doing it briefly, her son 7 months ago is doing that already and i am just like if that isnt unfair i dont know what it is. Host the last question, i feel like i need to get this right. Make sure i get this correctly. The question is what is your 60second idea to change the world . Guest it is the message in my book that i say over and over and over again. My 60second idea is to elect women, elect women up and down the ballot, make it a priority. Dont get into this notion that identity politics and shouldnt let them because they are women, we should probably elect women because they are women because of the diversity of experience. We will not get true equality until we have equal representation. Every major legislative body of the United States is pretty much around 25 held by women and we have half representation. That means we are worse off than afghanistan and uganda. All of these places we take pride in thinking we are more democratically advanced or progressive yet we dont have this basic representation handled. That is the thing. We will change the world. Host thank you for talking with us. A pleasure speaking with you. Guest thanks for doing this and glad to be here. Host katies book she will rise is available for purchase. If you would like to watch more virtual programs or support the efforts in virtual programming please visit colorclub. Org online. I am mina kim, thank you for questions or participating in this discussion with me. You are watching booktv on cspan2, television for serious readers. Here are some programs to watch out for tonight. On our Author Interview program after words, democrat senator chris murphy of connecticut looks at the origins of violence and firearms in americans history and the role they play in society today. History professor martha jones explores efforts by black women to win their the right to vote and netflix founder and ceo Rita Hastings and author aaron meyer discussed the unorthodox Workplace Culture at netflix. For more Schedule Information consult your cable guide or visit booktv. Org. Here is the books being published this week. Find these titles this coming week whenever books are sold and watch for many of the operas in the near future on booktv on cspan2. Sunday october 4th at noon eastern on in depth our live two our conversation with Harvard University professor joe lepore whose most recent book is if then. Other titles include the secret history of wonder woman. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 Justice Ginsburg was a second woman to serve and did so for more than 27 years. Last year Justice Ginsburg appeared at the national book
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