(NewsNation) — The Democratic Party is grappling with the aftermath of its blowout loss in the presidential election.
The Democratic National Committee is undergoing significant staffing cuts, reducing its workforce by 70% to 200 employees, per The New York Times. Permanent staff members did not receive severance pay.
The DNC union released a statement saying, “The DNC’s senior leadership has chosen to leave loyal staff scrambling to cover rent, medical expenses, and childcare costs.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, whose campaign is $20 million in debt, is currently on a weeklong vacation with her husband, a decision that was defended by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during Thursday’s media conference.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Jean-Pierre said.
“I think she deserves some time to be with her family and to have some downtime. She has worked very hard over the last four years, and her taking a couple of days to be with her family. Good for her,” she added.
Sources inside the DNC say that Harris and her former running mate, Tim Walz, have a Zoom call with top donors next week to thank them in a move viewed as Harris attempting to sure up her political future.