Abortion is the "key issue" in Harris' campaign, said CNN. One poll found that 54% of likely voters trust her more than Donald Trump to do a better job on abortion rights. (He pulled in 41% of respondents.) Her advantage is even bigger among young people and Black and Latino voters. That's why Harris has adopted a "rapid-response mentality" on the topic, said CNN. She's quick to highlight developments like ProPublica's reporting on two Georgia women who died because of delayed care related to that state's abortion ban.
'Threw her weight' into abortion cases Harris has a "long record of supporting abortion rights in California," said CalMatters. "As long as I have known her, this has always been a core issue," said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. As California's attorney general, she "threw her weight" behind cases involving abortion, including investigating allegations that Planned Parenthood was selling fetal remains and advocating regulation of anti-abortion pregnancy centers. That gives her "credibility" among reproductive rights groups, said CalMatters.
It also earns the ire of anti-abortion activists. Harris has "passionately" advocated a "pro-abortion agenda," Richard Doerflinger, a fellow with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, said at National Review. In 2020, Harris "taunted" then-candidate Joe Biden for supporting the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortions. Harris could be expected to rescind the band, said Doerflinger. The vice president has been "singularly obsessed" with abortion.
Eliminating the filibuster One sign of Harris' seriousness on abortion: She supports ending the Senate filibuster so the chamber can pass pro-choice legislation with 51 votes, said NPR. "I have been very clear; I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe," she said in a public radio interview.
Will the issue swing the election? Arizona progressives, for example, are worried a state-level ballot measure to protect abortion rights is not helping Democratic candidates at the polls, said Politico. Voters are "prioritizing other issues," said one abortion rights activist. We don't expect the ballot initiatives to deliver these states for us," said a Harris campaign adviser. |