Kamala Harris bringing furloughed federal worker as State of the Union guest

Sen. Kamala Harris bringing furloughed worker as State of the Union guest

Sen. Kamala Harris, a 2020 presidential candidate, is bringing a government worker who was furloughed during the recent shutdown as her guest to the State of the Union, telling CBS News' Nancy Cordes the shutdown was "not without harm." Harris and her guest Trisha Pesiri-Dybvik spoke to Cordes before the senator's pre-speech rebuttal to President Trump's address.

Harris discussed the damage the extended shutdown inflicted on the 800,000 workers who went without pay. "Whatever decision policymakers and leaders make in this place, in Washington, D.C., has a direct impact on real human beings," Harris said.

Her guest, Pesiri-Dybvik is an Air Traffic Control officer who was furloughed during the 35-day government shutdown. She and her husband, who is also an Air Traffic Control officer and worked without pay during the shutdown, lost their house during the Thomas Fire, one of the deadly wildfires which swept through California this year. She is also a volunteer for her union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

Harris is delivering remarks on Facebook Live at 7:45 p.m. ET prior to Mr. Trump's State of the Union address.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-of-the-union-2019-sen-kamala-harris-bringing-furloughed-government-worker-as-sotu-guest/