Kamala Harris Has Quite A History Of Fighting For Reproductive Rights
The 2020 presidential election is officially underway, and candidates are gearing up to take on President Donald Trump for the White House. The first round of Democratic debates already took place on June 26 and June 27, 2019, but candidates are still touring the country and speaking out on the issues. For those tuning into politics ahead of next year's election, you may be wondering: Where does Kamala Harris stand on abortion? Here's the rundown.
Like other 2020 Democratic candidates, Harris has been an outspoken supporter of reproductive rights for citizens in the United States. In 2018, she held a 100% approval rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America and was publicly endorsed in 2016 by political action committee EMILY's List during her California Senate run. Harris has also taken her stance on reproductive rights to the Congressional floor. As a part of her presidential run, Harris unveiled the Reproductive Rights Act, which is a plan that would block abortion restrictions in the United States before they're able to take effect. In her plan, states with a history of introducing anti-abortion bills will be required to clear new laws with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and no legislation would be allowed to take effect unless the DOJ finds it agrees with Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that decriminalized abortion in the United States.
While Harris has publicly opposed abortion restrictions during her presidential run, she's also been a part of the fight for years. In November 2013, Harris co-sponsored the Women's Health Protection Act, which would have made limitations towards abortion services unlawful and prohibit government involvement. She also supports publicly-funded abortions, according to a November 2016 voter guide from the Christian Coalition. Harris has also opposed the Trump administration's domestic gag rule, which prohibits doctors in the Title X program from telling patients how they can safely obtain an abortion.
Harris' fight for reproductive health has never been more relevant or timely. Over the past few weeks, states including Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri have introduced highly-restrictive anti-abortion measures that could greatly impact residents' health. Harris addressed the wave of anti-abortion bans during an MSNBC town hall on May 28, where she stated the United States is regressing back to a time where reproductive health wasn't protected or valued. She said,
Women’s ability to have access to reproductive health is under attack in America. Are we going to go back to the days of back-alley abortions? Women died before we had Roe v. Wade in place.
Harris is one of a few candidates to have strong ratings on NARAL Pro-Choice America. Democratic candidates including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also hold a 100% approval rating on the organization's website. So, even if these candidates may be different, clearly, they're a part of the same fight.
The 2020 presidential election is in full swing, and even though there are a number of issues that need to be addressed, rest assured reproductive rights is at the top of the list.
