Vice President Kamala Harris Ahead of a midterm congressional race to elect pro-election candidates, voters were swayed by a perceived lackluster response to a recent historic Supreme Court ruling curtailing federal abortion rights in the Biden administration. But facing criticism from the progressives.
In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Harris urged voters to elect a “pro-Congress” in November, and highlighted that even down-ballot contests at the local level are fighting abortion rights in some parts of the country. central to reinstatement.
Harris said in a pre-recorded interview, “You don’t have to advocate or believe it’s right for you or your family, but don’t let the government make decisions for his family, no matter what. ” “This means the offices of the state, the governor, the secretary of state, the attorney general. That means the local breeders, who’s going to be your DA, who’s going to be your sheriff, enforcing laws that are being passed to criminalize medical health providers, and perhaps even the women who serve. want to ,
On Friday, Joe Biden signed a limited executive order Designed to protect access to reproductive health services by expanding access to emergency contraception and strengthening legal services to support people crossing state borders in search of abortion.
But for many abortion advocates and progressive Democrats, the president’s measures don’t go far enough. For example, the administration has resisted calls in anti-abortion states to use federal land to terminate pregnancies, or to subsidize travel for those forced to travel to use the services. .
at least nine US states have banned abortion in the wake of a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling that overturned a Roe v Wade ruling that had established the procedure as a constitutional right since 1973. The ruling makes it likely that nearly half the country – 26 states – will eventually stop abortion in some way.
The decision came after Donald Trump installed three right-wing justices on the Supreme Court, paving the way for a conservative supermajority on the court.
Harris, then a US senator, voted against the former presidential appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Connie Barrett. And she said Sunday she never believed assurances given privately and publicly by Gorsuch and Kavanaugh that they respected the precedence of the Roe decision.
“I start from the point of experience serving in the Senate,” Harris said. “I never believed in them. I didn’t believe in them. That’s why I voted against it.”
Asked whether Democrats should have done more to establish abortion rights in federal law when the party controlled both houses of Congress, Harris replied: “We certainly believe that some The issues have been resolved. Some issues have just been resolved. And so I believe we are living, sadly, in real volatile times.”
Democrats have faced criticism for the fundraising campaign behind the Supreme Court ruling and recent polling indicates their party is still facing a tough day at the ballot box in November. Biden’s approval rating is falling And the party is set to lose its majority in the House of Representatives.
On Sunday, Harris sought to quash Biden’s call for just one term as president before allowing a new Democratic candidate to run for 2024.
“Listen to President Biden,” Harris said. “He intends to run. And if he does, I intend to run with him.”