Portrait of Kamala Harris
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Kamala Harris on Reproductive Rights

Strong reproductive rights advocate (strong)

TL;DR

Kamala Harris strongly advocates for restoring federal abortion protections and vows to sign any codifying legislation that reaches her desk.

Key Points

  • She vows to sign a bill into law that restores the protections of Roe v. Wade if Congress passes one.

  • She supports eliminating the Senate filibuster to allow for the passage of federal abortion protections with a simple majority.

  • As Attorney General, she investigated anti-abortion activist David Daleiden and supported legislation to regulate crisis pregnancy centers.

Summary

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has made reproductive rights a central issue, vowing to restore the freedoms guaranteed under the former Roe v. Wade standard. She has promised that if Congress passes a bill reinstating these protections, she will sign it into law, and has even supported eliminating the filibuster to achieve this with a simple majority. Her commitment is framed as ensuring every person can access abortion care regardless of geography or financial status, which includes supporting efforts to end discriminatory barriers like the Hyde Amendment.

Her support for abortion access is described as consistent throughout her career, including when she was California's attorney general, where she investigated anti-abortion groups and backed legislation to regulate crisis pregnancy centers. She has become the administration's leading voice on the issue, including becoming the first sitting Vice President to visit an abortion clinic. Advocates view her as the essential figure to protect access, noting that the alternative would further threaten reproductive rights nationwide.

Key Quotes

The point that I'm making is not about changing their mind about what's right for them or their family. It's simply saying the government shouldn't be making this decision.

At one of her first campaign events, she stated that if Congress “passes a law to restore reproductive freedom, as president of the United States I will sign it into law.”

“The stakes are high,” Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said to a cheering crowd at the Fairmont Hotel that included Gov. Gavin Newsom and other high-profile Democrats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kamala Harris is a strong advocate for reproductive rights and abortion access nationwide. She has pledged to support and sign federal legislation that codifies the protections previously established under Roe v. Wade. Her position emphasizes that decisions about one's body should belong to the individual, not the government.

Her public messaging on abortion has been described as remarkably consistent throughout her career, dating back to her time as a prosecutor and then as Attorney General in California. She has consistently condemned total or near-total abortion bans.

She has consistently denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, laying the blame at the feet of the former President for appointing the justices who made the ruling. She views the reversal as an attack on fundamental freedoms.