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Senator Kirsten Gillibrand fired back at Kanye West, who shocked the nation when he insisted that 400 years of slavery was a choice. That’s ‘outrageous,’ she told Hollywoodlife.com in an exclusive interview.

United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, 51, who represents the state of New York, was visibly appalled when she learned that Kanye West claimed that “slavery was a choice” during his TMZ Live interview on May 1. “Those are outrageous comments, and that is not the American history that is fact,” she told HollywoodLife.com in an exclusive podcast interview with Editor-in-Chief Bonnie Fuller. The first member of Congress to speak out about Ye’s contentious outburst, Sen. Gillibrand struggled to contain her shock that someone would ever refer to 400 years of slavery as voluntary.

“These people were enslaved. Are you kidding me?” she said in absolute disbelief. “Slavery was the worst scourge this country has ever seen. You have stories of children, babies, being ripped from their mothers, being in bondage your whole life. This is a blight. It’s a horrible mark in our history.” We couldn’t agree more with the senator, who is currently running for reelection. Listen to the full podcast interview here.

The mother of two sons, ages 10 and 15, revealed that she is currently writing a book that explores the history of suffrage, and in her response to Kanye’s controversial comments, she highlighted some of the stories of women who fought for their freedom and never had a “choice” about their bondage. “I’ve read the stories of what Harriet Tubman did to escape slavery, to free her family, to free loved ones, constantly going back into danger, having the courage and determination to do that. It was never a choice,” she told HL. “There is the story of Sojourner Truth, who was the first black woman former slave to go to court and win a case against a white man to get her son back. Imagine today, your son is enslaved and you have to fight with everything you have to win his freedom. That’s what these women did and endured, and they’re extraordinary.” We could say the same about Sen. Gillibrand, who has also made extraordinary efforts for women in the United States, fighting for equal pay, paid family leave, affordable healthcare, and access to a great education. Additionally, the senator has made it her mission to bring protect the victims of horrific sexual assaults and harassment in the US military, in the workforce and in Congress.

We’re incredibly lucky to have her as an advocate for women on Capitol Hill. Make sure you vote in the November 2018 midterm elections, and put more women in Congress to represent us and fight for our rights! Currently, a record high of over 400 women are running for office — register to vote so your voices can be heard!