“Shocked” Kamala Harris is very outraged by the overturning of Roe – but few solutions

In his first interview since the Supreme Court officially overturned Roe v. Wade, thereby overturning the constitutional right to abortion, Vice President Kamala Harris was heavy on outrage but light on detailed solutions. Harris told CNN’s Dana Bash that she first heard the news while traveling to Illinois to speak about maternal health policy. The vice president’s personal reaction was what was to be expected: She was prepared for the decision, but was nonetheless shocked when it became official. She reflected as a stepmother, godmother and aunt, and as a former prosecutor for crimes against women and children. She reiterated that the right to abortion should be resolved by then.

Harris also made clear that she believed the right to abortion would not be the last right threatened by the current Supreme Court, based on Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion, in which he suggested other landmark cases, such as those that determined the right to contraception. and homosexual relationships should be “revisited”.

The vice president was less clear when pressed on specific policies or actions the executive branch was willing to take to protect the right to choose. Harris said the administration would do “everything in our power” to ensure people have access to the medications they need – which are approved by the FDA – as well as the freedom to travel interstate to access these medications or other abortion services. When asked whether these freedoms would be enforced by the courts, Harris said he was confident the Justice Department was committed to preventing states from over-regulating FDA-approved drugs or the freedom to travel. Merrick Garland reported this in a statement Friday, according to the Washington Poststating that his department was willing to work with the FDA to ensure access to mifepristone – the abortion pill – and that states would not be allowed to cut off access to abortion counseling services.

Another idea that has been discussed is the possibility of opening abortion centers on federal land, but Harris said that has not been discussed. Instead, the Veep turned to the elections, once again reiterating the importance of the upcoming midterms, which will determine which party controls both houses of Congress. Harris said the current Senate does not have the votes to enshrine abortion rights into law, saying, “We need to change the balance and have pro-choice lawmakers.” » The calls for voting, which echo what President Biden said days earlier, will likely draw more groans from progressive Democrats, who have long grown tired of voting in “the most important part of their lives” without any measurable legislative change.

Additionally, Democrats already control the House, Senate and executive branch, but Harris, Bash noted, has not called for abolishing the filibuster — which would allow a bill to pass in the House. Senate. As vice president, Harris serves as president of the Senate, which should give her voice added weight in that chamber. If so, she doesn’t seem to have used it much.

And this goes without saying, but Harris also did not call for an increase or change in the number of justices on the Supreme Court – something some constitutionalists and historians (and progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren) have repeatedly called for to correct the extreme ideology. imbalance on the ground.