Vice President Kamala Harris believes abortion is a winning issue in Georgia and is backing the elimination of the 60-vote filibuster requirement to reinstate Roe v. Wade and federalize abortion access nationwide.
Vice President Kamala Harris is making abortion rights a central plank of her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, pledging to eliminate the filibuster requirement in order to reinstate Roe v. Wade and federalize abortion access nationwide.
The vice president's remarks were made during her fourth campaign visit to the battleground state of Wisconsin and drew attention from West Virginia independent Sen. Joe Manchin, a strong supporter of the filibuster.
Harris Pledges to Eliminate Filibuster to Protect Abortion Access
"Shame on her," Manchin said at the Capitol, CNN reported. "She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It’s the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids."
"That ain’t going to happen," Manchin said, regarding backing the VP for president in November.
Harris Pledges to Eliminate Filibuster to Protect Abortion Access
Harris also said in the WPR interview that, "It is well within our reach" to keep a Democratic Senate majority and "take back the House."
"I would also emphasize that while the presidential election is extremely important and dispositive of where we go moving forward, it also is about what we need to do to hold onto the Senate and win seats in the House," Harris said.
Harris Pledges to Eliminate Filibuster to Protect Abortion Access
Harris first said she would support ending the filibuster to reinstate Roe v. Wade era abortion protection in 2022, but she has since made abortion a major issue in her Democratic bid for presidency this election cycle.
She also supported ending the filibuster to pass the progressive Green New Deal climate legislation in 2019.
Harris Pledges to Eliminate Filibuster to Protect Abortion Access
"With just two more seats in the Senate, we can codify Roe v. Wade, we can put the protections of Roe in law," Harris said in September 2022. "With two more seats in the United States Senate, we can pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Two more seats."
Harris has made numerous campaign stops in Georgia, a key battleground state, where she has met with local leaders and Democratic activists. She has also been critical of the state's restrictive abortion law, which bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Harris's focus on abortion rights is part of a broader effort by Democrats to energize their base and attract swing voters ahead of the 2024 election. Democrats see abortion rights as a winning issue for them, particularly among women and young voters.
Republicans, on the other hand, are hoping to use the issue of abortion to their advantage by framing it as a matter of protecting unborn children. They are also likely to argue that Harris's support for eliminating the filibuster is an example of her radicalism.
The debate over abortion rights is likely to be a central issue in the 2024 election, with both parties hoping to use it to motivate their supporters and gain an edge in the race for the White House.
