New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that she is forming an exploratory committee to run for president in the 2020 election on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday.
So who is Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and what has she been up to since she entered Congress in 2009? The senator took over Hillary Clinton’s Congressional seat when Clinton became Secretary of State under President Barack Obama. Here’s a bit more about the last decade of Gillibrand’s career.
An advocate for women
Sen. Gillibrand is known for advocating for a national paid family leave policy. With her colleague Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Gillibrand has been a force behind the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would create a shared fund to make paid leave affordable to all employers.
Gillibrand has also publicly celebrated the opportunity to serve with a record number of women in Congress.
As a Democrat, Gillibrand is also known for her pro-choice views.
The senator has also been vocal in the #MeToo movement and was a leading voice calling for the resignation of her former colleague, Sen. Al Franken, following allegations of sexual misconduct.
She is cleaning up campaign finance
In February 2018, Gillibrand announced that she would no longer accept money from corporate political action committees, or PACs. She called the effect of corporate money in politics “corrosive.” Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who also announced her plans to enter the 2020 race, has also said she will reject corporate PAC money.