NEW: Meet Vanita Gupta, Biden's pick to be the No. 3 at the Justice Department and a potential bridge between progressives and the White House by @cdechalus ($) @thisisinsider businessinsider.com/vanita-gupta-a…
The president of one of the country's top police unions braced himself for a phone call in February that he expected wasn't going to be easy. On the other end of the line was Vanita Gupta, a well-known civil rights champion Joe Biden had just nominated for the DOJ's No. 3 job.
But Larry Cosme, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, recounted in a recent interview w/ @thisisinsider that his conversation with Gupta turned out to be anything but contentious.
"She was very straightforward," he told Insider. "She fielded every question that I presented to her, and I thought that was very impressive."
Their call lasted for a little under an hour, and the 2 people long on opposite sides of a debate over law enforcement found themselves in a productive dialogue about policies surrounding police reform & the need for more de-escalation training for law enforcement officers.
Contrary to all the 2020 presidential campaign talk about defunding the police, Cosme said they also found common ground on giving law enforcement agencies a bigger budget.
It signaled to Cosme that Gupta could be a key ally to police unions & other groups who may not share her point of view. That's critical if Biden is going to make progress in the aftermath of nationwide protests over law enforcement's treatment of people of color in the US.
Gupta's extensive experience in civil rights and advocacy work has also made her a favorite among progressive groups. That's due to her time working in DOJ during President Obama's second term, when she was known for having phone calls similar to the one she had with Cosme.
"She is open and accessible and willing to talk to people who have differing perspectives and to help share their concerns with the larger group of which she is a part of," said Wade Henderson, the interim president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Progressive and civil rights groups say Gupta will serve as a bridge between their world and the White House to achieve criminal justice reform — if she can get confirmed by the Senate.
That's looking to be more likely now. The 46-year-old nomination has enjoyed broad support from several police unions & even conservative crusaders like Grover Norquist. On Monday, Gupta's nomination got a boost when Sen. Joe Manchin told CNN he was leaning toward backing her.
Subscribe to @thisisinsider for the full report on Vanita Gupta: businessinsider.com/vanita-gupta-a…
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