Kamala Harris Gives First Speech Focused On Abortion Rights As Dem Nominee | EUROtoday

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday delivered a robust speech on abortion rights — her first handle to focus solely on reproductive rights and the dire panorama for pregnant individuals in a post-Roe v. Wade world since she turned the Democratic presidential nominee.

Harris spoke at a rally in Atlanta, the place she was surrounded by supporters holding “Trust women” indicators and by placards studying, “1 in 3 women lives under a Trump abortion ban,” a reference to states limiting reproductive well being care for the reason that Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. Harris hosted the occasion within the wake of devastating reporting from ProPublica about two Georgia ladies, each Black moms, who died as a result of they didn’t obtain correct medical remedy after utilizing abortion capsules.

“The reality is, for every story we hear of the suffering under Trump abortion bans, there are so many of the stories we’re not hearing,” Harris stated, referring to the practically two dozen states which have enacted abortion restrictions. “Women who are also being made to feel as though they did something wrong … being made as though to feel as though they are criminals, as though they are alone.”

“To those women, to those families, I say on behalf of what I believe we all say: We see you and you are not alone, and we are all here standing with you,” she informed the gang, which gave her a standing ovation.

Harris known as Republicans “hypocrites” for enacting abortion bans whereas ignoring the nation’s maternal mortality disaster. So-called maternity care deserts are rising, with 1 in 3 U.S. counties or greater than 2.3 million ladies of reproductive age missing obstetric care — a partial results of post-Roe abortion bans.

“These hypocrites want to start talking about ‘This is in the best interest of women and children,’” she stated. “Well, where’ve you been? Where’ve you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America? Where’ve you been? How dare they.”

Georgia presently bans abortion after roughly six weeks of being pregnant, a time when many individuals don’t know they’re pregnant. ProPublica reported that Amber Nicole Thurman, 28, was compelled to drive out of her house state to get an abortion in 2022, however skilled a complication when she acquired house and needed to go to the hospital. Although Thurman was in large ache and deteriorating shortly, suppliers reportedly delayed lifesaving take care of 20 hours, apparently scared of prison punishment included within the state’s abortion ban. Thurman ultimately died, forsaking a 6-year-old son, ProPublica wrote.

“We will speak her name: Amber Nicole Thurman,” Harris stated in Atlanta as the gang chanted alongside. “She had her future all planned out. … She had her plan, what she wanted to do for her son, for herself, for their future.”

Harris met with Thurman’s mom and sisters Thursday throughout an occasion with TV legend Oprah Winfrey. The vice chairman stated on Friday that Thurman’s household described her as a loving sister and mom, as a hardworking younger girl who was headed to nursing faculty. “Amber’s mother … told me that the word ‘preventable’ is [playing] over and over again in her head when she learned about how her child died,” Harris stated.

The Democratic candidate blamed Donald Trump, her GOP rival within the 2024 White House race, for the deaths of Thurman and Candi Miller, the opposite girl whose dying was reported by ProPublica. “This is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of this crisis,” she stated.

Trump has repeatedly bragged about his position in repealing federal abortion protections and continues to falsely declare that “everyone” wished Roe v. Wade overturned. Harris informed the gang on Friday that Trump will go additional and signal a nationwide abortion ban into legislation if he’s elected — a coverage stance that Trump himself has been indecisive on however a lot of his longtime allies have pushed for and detailed in Project 2025, a coverage blueprint for the following Republican administration.

She additionally took intention at Trump’s repeated declare that he solely helps abortion bans that embrace exceptions for rape, incest and the life and well being of the pregnant particular person.

“We’re saying that we’re going to create public policy that says that a doctor, a health care provider, will only kick in to give the care that somebody needs if they’re about to die?” Harris stated. “You’re saying that good policy, logical policy, moral policy, humane policy is about saying that a health care provider will only start providing that care when you’re about to die?”