WASHINGTON - Wednesday the Poor People's Campaign went before the House Budget committee to address the nation's impoverished communities.
That same panel grilled California presidential candidates on the homelessness crisis seen across the state at the forum Monday.
Senator Kamala Harris and Congressman Eric Swalwell pitched what they would do to clean up the streets, if they were elected President.
“Teach us the importance of living a life that is not about ourselves,” said Harris. “But about service to and for others.”
The heat in the Trinity Washington University room didn’t stop hundreds from watching the forum as nine presidential candidates took the stage one at a time.
“Poverty is not a god-made condition,” said Swalwell. “It’s man-made.”
Harris and Swalwell had unique questions focused on California, where the homeless population in Los Angeles is surging.
“I’m running for president to do something about it,” said Swalwell. “I’m running for president because I come from a generation that will actually do worse than the generations before me.”
Harris said affordable housing is one of the nation’s biggest issues that’s least talked about.
Families from the California homeless community agree, saying they just want the struggle to end.
“I have been homeless for at least the last three years,” said Santa Cruz mother, Angie Clemenson. “And barely staying above the level.”
Alicia Kuhl is also a homeless mother in Santa Cruz who said she’s in DC to learn and advocate for herself and all others in the homeless community.
“People are dying and so we need solutions for our homeless population,” said Kuhl.
Harris also accused the criminal justice system of abusing the bail system, targeting the poor, which highlighted her prosecutor background.
“So as president, one of the first acts of business for me,” said Harris. “Would be to get rid of these private detention centers and private prisons, because we gotta take out the profit margin out of the issue."
Swalwell said his fight against poverty includes using military spending cuts to help those suffering from addiction. He also called for school construction to be a federal infrastructure priority and said the minimum wage should be $15.
“With a two year old who really likes to go to McDonald’s,” said Swalwell. “We’re not going to go to McDonald’s until they get this right.”
It’s a topic Harris also touched on.
“I was actually marching with folks in Vegas,” said Harris about last weekend. “Picketing McDonald’s about what we need to do to lift up the minimum age to at least $15 an hour, but a livable wage for folks.”
There were nine candidates at the forum, the largest forum gathering in 2020. That included former Vice President Joe Biden, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.