Kamala Harris reveals she would back dramatic move to pass law protecting abortion rights

Vice President Kamala Harris said she supports ending the filibuster in the Senate to protect abortion rights, as legislation to protect abortion access at the federal level has been blocked since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The Democratic presidential candidate made a strong call for change during an interview aired Tuesday on Wisconsin Public Radio.

“I’ve been very clear: I think we need to abolish the filibuster for Roe and get to the point where we need 51 votes to put back into law the protections of reproductive freedom and the ability for every person and every woman to make decisions about their own bodies,” Harris said.

Democrats are trying to pass legislation to restore abortion protections granted in Roe v. Wade, since the landmark ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022.

However, Democrats need 60 votes to bypass the filibuster in the Senate, but only have a 51-seat majority.

Harris has led the Biden administration’s efforts to protect abortion access since the Dobbs ruling sent the issue back to the states, but she acknowledged that protecting access at the federal level will require an act of Congress.

“We need the votes in Congress to do exactly what you say, and that’s true,” Harris said of passing legislation. “It’s well within our reach to keep the Senate majority and win back the House.”

Abortion rights are a key issue in the 2024 presidential election, after being a galvanizing issue for Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections.

Harris is an active campaigner for the protection of reproductive freedoms. Her campaign is highlighting the issue in ads and she is currently touring the states where the fight for reproductive freedom is in full swing.

The overturning of Roe’s presidency has put rival Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington on the defensive, as Democrats blame them for overturning Roe’s presidency.

Trump nominated three of the six conservative Supreme Court justices who ruled in the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe.

On Friday, Harris traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, just days after ProPublica published a report about two Georgia women whose deaths were linked to the state’s abortion ban.

During her speech in Atlanta, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the deaths of two women in the state that have been linked to Georgia’s abortion ban.

Harris addressed the audience, telling of the 28-year-old mother who died in August 2022 after doctors delayed her care due to the state’s six-week abortion ban. She said, “We will say her name: Amber Nicole Thurman.”

She called the deaths “preventable” and “predictable.” Critics accuse her of using the deaths to score political points.

The campaigning vice president has long promised to sign legislation to codify Roe if it passes.

Senate Democrats first attempted to pass legislation protecting abortion access in May 2022 after the Supreme Court ruling was leaked, but failed.

Another attempt to pass protections in July was also blocked by Republicans.

President Biden has long said he supports an exception to the filibuster so Democrats can pass legislation protecting abortion.

As vice president, Harris has pledged to be the deciding vote to end the filibuster for legislation to codify Roe. But her remarks Tuesday are the first time Harris has reiterated her position as a presidential candidate.