Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) may be a long shot to join former Vice…

Rep. Karen BassKaren Ruth BassTim Scott: Stalled police reform legislation a ‘crying shame’GOP seizes on ‘defund the police’ to galvanize baseJames Carville on Biden VP pick: Wouldn’t care if it was Sarah Palin, ‘I just want to win this thing’MORE (D-Calif.) may be a long shot to join former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenRussian bounty intel was included in Trump’s daily briefing: reportsHouse Dems to offer up road map to solve the climate crisisSupreme Court ruling could unleash new legal challenges to consumer bureauMORE on the ticket in November, but Democratic colleagues say the Congressional Black Caucus chair is quickly establishing herself as a top candidate for House leadership after the election.
Bass, who shepherded a sweeping police reform bill through the House this month, has been front and center in the Democrats response to the May 25 killing of George Floyd and subsequent nationwide protests against police brutality.
Instead of pushing for immediate passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Bass took time to personally meet with the powerful Fraternal Order of Police, the police chiefs association and other key stakeholders whose potential opposition could have derailed the legislation.
The former community organizer and California Assembly Speaker worked the phones, holding lengthy calls with various House factions, including the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, centrist New Democrats and the Progressive Caucus. She even relentlessly lobbied a handful of Republicans to support the package.
In the end all 233 Democrats voted for the bill, along with three Republicans Reps. Will HurdWilliam Ballard HurdThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – States are pausing reopeningDemocrats release bilingual ads on police reform billThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – As virus concerns grow, can it get worse for Trump?MORE (Texas), Fred UptonFrederick (Fred) Stephen UptonThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – States are pausing reopeningDemocrats release bilingual ads on police reform billThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – As virus concerns grow, can it get worse for Trump?MORE (Mich.) and Brian FitzpatrickBrian K. FitzpatrickThe Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – States are pausing reopeningDemocrats release bilingual ads on police reform billThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – As virus concerns grow, can it get worse for Trump?MORE (Pa.) to give the measure bipartisan cover as a similar push in the Senate collapsed amid partisan bickering.
The silence from police reform critics speaks to her ability to not only persuade but build coalitions and keep up the momentum, said a Democratic leadership aide who worked closely with Bass on the package. She talked to everybody and walked them through the bill to make sure everyone who had a stake in it was touched.
The issue was wrought with landmines and shes been able to navigate it beautifully, the aide added.
At the moment, there is no obvious leadership opening for Bass; Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiSenators will have access to intelligence on Russian bounties on US troopsHouse Dems to offer up road map to solve the climate crisisFeehery: On statues and statutesMORE (D-Calif.), 80, has given no indication shes retiring, maintaining a bottleneck at the top echelon. But House colleagues say Basss behind-the-scenes maneuvering on the police reform bill coupled with her push to build public support during countless news conferences and TV interviews has catapulted her into the leadership discussion.      
I think shed certainly be a strong competitor for a leadership position, said longtime Rep. John YarmuthJohn Allen YarmuthEx-CBO director calls for more than trillion in coronavirus stimulus spendingRep slams ‘vulgar images’ and ‘racist words’ that disrupted virtual youth anti-violence eventUnemployment to remain above 9 percent into 2021: CBOMORE (D-Ky.), who frequently sits in on Pelosis leadership meetings as the Budget Committee chair.
Indeed, the fact that Bidens team is now taking a look at Bass as a potential running mate, alongside more well-known figures like Sens. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenPolitical establishment takes a hit as chaos reigns supremeSupreme Court rules consumer bureau director can be fired at willJuan Williams: Time for boldness from BidenMORE (D-Mass.) and Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisOvernight Defense: Lawmakers demand answers on reported Russian bounties for US troops deaths in Afghanistan | Defense bill amendments target Germany withdrawal, Pentagon program giving weapons to policeSenators push to limit transfer of military-grade equipment to policeJuan Williams: Time for boldness from BidenMORE (D-Calif.), shows exactly how much her national profile has risen in recent weeks.
I think it does elevate her profile, Rep. Ami BeraAmerish (Ami) Babulal BeraThe Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what ‘policing’ means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight Exclusive investigation on the coronavirus pandemic: Where was Congress? The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: David Miliband says world won’t be safe until poor nations get more aid; Cuomo rips WHOMORE, a fellow California Democrat, told The Hill. The whole issue of social justice its something that Karens worked on throughout her time in Congress and is an issue shes been a champion of her whole life. She was in the right place at the right time and was the right person given the confluence of events: the pandemic, the economic challenges and now social justice.
Bass, who made history in 2008 as the first African American woman in the nation to be elected Speaker of a state legislature, said Monday she would not close the door on any potential leadership bid in the future but joked that she certainly wasnt plotting one either.
I always remain open to serving the caucus in any way I possibly can to retain and expand our majority and make it successful in the future, Bass, 66, told The Hill. But I am not in the middle of plotting a leadership run. And last time I checked, there are not any vacancies. I am very happy with our current leaders.
The five-term lawmaker declined to say whether she had been contacted by Bidens vetting team, referring VP questions back to the Biden campaign. But the two have been in close contact throughout the 2020 campaign; Bass hosted Biden at the Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in Los Angeles before Super Tuesday.
Bass traces her activism on policing back to 1973, the same year Floyd was born. During a break from college, she joined a community group in Los Angeles and protested against police brutality. Nearly two decades later, she would watch her hometown erupt in flames after a jury acquitted four white police officers who were videotaped viciously beating Rodney King, an unarmed Black man.
During the 1990s she served as a community organizer fighting against gang violence and the crack-cocaine epidemic gripping the Black community in L.A. Her pre-Congress career also included time as a nurse and a health care worker.
Its those experiences and the relationships forged that have helped Bass frame Floyds killing in the larger context of racial injustice and inequality, including health care and economic disparities among African Americans.
The Congress and country are blessed to be led by Chairwoman Karen Bass, who brings 47 years of leadership advocating for an end to police brutality, Pelosi said in a statement to The Hill. She is a force for good in America, who brings extraordinary gentility, grace and strength to the fight to advance justice and save lives.
Still, some Democrats say its premature to give Bass too much credit before any police reforms have been signed into law. Her bill would ban police chokeholds, as well as no-knock warrants for federal law enforcement officials; create a national registry of police abuses; and make it easier for citizens to sue officers accused of misconduct.
The Senate remains deeply gridlocked on a narrower bill by Sen. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottFeehery: On statues and statutesThe Memo: GOP cringes at new Trump race controversyIf Democrats want criminal justice reform, they should work with RepublicansMORE (R-S.C.), the only Black GOP senator, and President TrumpDonald John TrumpTop intelligence officials release statements criticizing leaking of Russian bounties informationRussian bounty intel was included in Trump’s daily briefing: reportsSenators will have access to intelligence on Russian bounties on US troopsMORE has threatened to veto Basss bill.
Bass said shes continuing bipartisan talks with Scott, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyComer tapped to serve as top Republican on House OversightWSJ editorial board tees off on Trump: Trends pointing to ‘historic repudiation’McCarthy calls for police reform conference ahead of voteMORE (R-Calif.), her old friend from the California Assembly, and Republicans who serve with her on the House Judiciary Committee.
I am not willing to concede defeat, she said. 
But hopes of a bipartisan deal four months before the election are quickly dimming.
The 55-member Black Caucus is the largest and most powerful its ever been. Getting that bill through the House is easy, said a Democratic source who watched Basss effort. The test is: Can she leverage that power to get it over the finish line?
With Bass now in the running for the VP slot, the Black Caucus chair has also come under fire for referring to Cuban leader Fidel Castro upon his death in 2016 as Comandante en jefe or commander in chief an endearing term that has been criticized by Cuban-American politicians in Florida whose families fled Castros brutal regime, Politico reported.
Basss office has said former President Obama made similar remarks about Castro when Washington was trying to normalize relations with Havana. But she told The Hill Monday that she regretted her comments, calling them particularly problematic.
I feel bad it hit anybody with a raw nerve, she said. I look forward to talking to my colleagues about it.
If she decides to climb the leadership ladder, Bass will face obstacles beyond her 2016 Castro remarks. While she and her leadership PAC have raised more than $300,000 for vulnerable colleagues and the House Democrats campaign arm this cycle, she hasnt traveled the country to fundraise as aggressively as other ambitious up-and-coming leaders, including Caucus Vice Chair Kathryn Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chair Hakeem JeffriesHakeem Sekou JeffriesThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Supreme Court ruling marks big win for abortion rights groupsSunday shows – Bolton’s bombshell book reverberatesJeffries says he hopes former SDNY attorney will testify before Congress ‘because I think he has a lot to say’MORE (D-N.Y.), a fellow Black Caucus member who is seen by many as Pelosis heir apparent.
Im not focused on leadership advancement; Im focused on helping my colleagues and getting my work done, Bass told The Hill. The leadership roles she wants to play, she added, are finishing her term leading the Black Caucus, chairing the Foreign Affairs Committees Africa subcommittee and chairing Judiciarys subpanel on crime, terrorism and homeland security.
Fundraising aside, House colleagues said theyve appreciated Basss honesty and no-nonsense style during their interactions with her.
She is just the ultimates members member, said Rep. Cheri BustosCheryl (Cheri) Lea BustosGOP pulls support from California House candidate over ‘unacceptable’ social media postsRepublican flips House seat in California special electionGOP’s Don Bacon and challenger neck and neck in Democratic pollMORE (D-Ill.), who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She is direct. If youve done something she doesnt like, she doesnt go to the press. She doesn’t go to another member and start gossiping. She goes right to you and says, I suggest you handle it this way going forward.
She is very direct in a kind way, and I respect that a great deal, Bustos said.