Kamala Harris first vice president visit Minnesota abortion clinic to blast ‘immoral’ restrictions
PAUL, Minn. (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic on Thursday, her office said, marking the first time a president or vice president has visited a facility that performs abortions, as the White House pushes to protect reproductive rights in this year’s election. Used to be.
“Right now, in our country, we are facing a very serious health crisis,” Harris said. “And this crisis is affecting a lot of people in our country, most of whom, frankly, are quietly Are suffering.”
The clinic, located in an industrial area near the city line between St. Paul and Minneapolis, has been an inspiration for many women in the area. Although Democratic leaders in Minnesota have protected abortion access, neighboring states have banned or severely restricted the procedure with policies that Harris described as “immoral.”
These are not words that politicians use. But Vice President Kamala Harris, already a historic figure, went there when she broke a political barrier by visiting a Minnesota-based Planned Parenthood clinic.
Harris, the nation’s first female Vice President, warned, “Everyone should get ready for the language.”
“Uterus.”
The crowd started laughing. “That part of the body requires a lot of medical care from time to time,” Harris said.
“Issues like fibroids” – muscular tumors that grow in the wall of a woman’s uterus – should no longer be taboo. She insisted: “We can handle it.”
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Decades ago, this would have made them scowl or condemn it as obscene.
The 59-year-old Democrat stood in front of a group of microphones and detailed the many services Planned Parenthood provides that are not abortion-related.
Harris’ decision to visit the clinic — and her public use of medical terms for the human reproductive system — was a clear sign of how entrenched America’s abortion debate has become ahead of the 2024 election.
The decision by the most powerful woman in elected office in America was a notable departure for Democrats, who have historically sided with abortion providers.
And the public is ready for this.
For Paige Robinson, a 22-year-old University of Minnesota student, abortion is a major issue she will consider when voting this fall.
Experts and activists reiterated how Thursday’s march highlights how the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade upends longstanding rules around abortion.
“It is both unprecedented and surprising, given the earthquake of the Dobbs decision,” said Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University.
Others say the moment also reflects Harris’ growing role as the Biden campaign’s progressive crusader on social issues.
During the trip, she’s pleading about women’s health in crisis as part of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedom” tour, which follows previous stops in battleground states like Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona. The week concluded in Minnesota.
Survey shows beginning with independent women.
The poll shows the vice president is already well-liked among fellow Democrats, especially Democratic women, who give him a 78% job approval rating. However, her popularity diminishes when she sneaks outside the party tent.
For example, about 54% of all respondents said he is not qualified to serve as president, while 38% believe he has what it takes.
This gap narrows slightly when measured against the views of independent women, who have tended to disagree with Republicans on reproductive rights.
The poll shows that 45% of independent women think Harris is not qualified to be president, while 40% of women think she is qualified.
“In addition to core Democratic voters, they have an opportunity to bring independent women into the positive zone. He’s negative there, but it’s close,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
The survey found that when compared with all voters, Harris scored slightly higher on job approval and favorability among women who did not belong to either party.
Across the board, Harris has a net negative rating of 16%, both in terms of her service as Vice President and her popularity. But with independent women, this drops to a net negative 5% on approval.
On favorability, the net negativity is at 15% with independent women but with a larger group of 9% still undecided.
Palaeologus said the vice president’s failure to hold on to other constituencies matters at a time when voters have legitimate concerns about Biden’s age and ability to serve. He said that means his role, and ultimately that of Trump’s running mate, will be expanded in the coming months.
“The fact that she can’t really add up to the Biden equation statistically for November is a problem and it’s a concern,” he said.
“They’re aligned within the Democratic Party and very popular, but it’s questionable among independents, and they’re not going to get anything among Republicans.”
‘We can’t do this without Harris,’ advocates say.
Addressing a crowd of more than 100 supporters at a rally in St. Paul,