Kamala Harris DENOUNCES critics of DEI and demands WNBA players are paid better after Caitlin Clark’s rookie salary was revealed
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday blasted critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, reminding voters of underpaid female athletes in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
“There are people in our country right now who are suggesting that focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion is a bad thing because they may not want these kinds of conversations happening that bring up the issue of gender pay equity ‘, she said.
Harris spoke about DEI efforts during a roundtable in Wisconsin on the importance of nursing home staffing.
US Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign roundtable
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (R) speaks with members of the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team in May 2022
The vice president raised the issue of female athletes being paid less than men in the Women’s National Basketball Association as an example of what she was talking about.
“Whether it’s in the WNBA or recognizing the traditional work of women, nurses and teachers remain underpaid, especially when measured by the value of the work,” she said. “The value of the work is profound in terms of what it does to elevate people.”
The issue of WNBA salaries was raised by activists after college basketball superstar Caitlin Clark signed a four-year rookie contract for $338,056, while top male basketball athletes typically sign multi-million dollar deals.
From left to right, LSU’s Angel Reese, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Stanford’s Cameron Brink pose for a photo before the WNBA basketball draft,
Some of the sport’s top female athletes signed contracts for the WNBA last week
The Biden campaign released a statement from the president on social media in response to the news, saying female athletes were “not getting their fair share.”
Harris pointedly told the audience that she was “going off script” before returning to her oft-mentioned talking point about the importance of leaders focusing on “who you elevate” rather than “who you defeat.”
She said nurses should be more appreciated and paid better.
“That is the work of these workers that we are talking about now and we as a society need to appreciate that,” she said.
Harris considers herself a fan of college basketball, but incorrectly said in March that women’s college basketball was not allowed to have braces until recently.
“You know – okay, a bit of a history lesson – you know the women’s teams weren’t allowed to have braces until 2022?” she asked a reporter in South Carolina.
The NCAA women’s basketball tournament began in 1982, when 32 teams qualified for the college championship.
A spokesperson for the vice president’s office confirmed to DailyMail.com that Harris intended to refer to the March Madness trademark and not “brackets.”