Kamala Harris says 'a constitutional right has been taken away from the people in America' after SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade
- Kamala Harris redirected her maternal health speech in Illinois to discuss SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade.
- The Biden Admin released a maternal health fact sheet before addressing the court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Amid the slew of politicians weighing in on the Supreme Court revoking the constitutional right to abortion, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the Court's ruling during a planned speech on maternal healthcare on Friday.
"For nearly 50 years we have talked about what Roe v. Wade protects," Harris said. "As of right now, as of this minute, we can only talk about what Roe v. Wade protected. Past tense."
Harris delivered her remarks in Plainfield, Illinois, where she was scheduled to speak on initiatives to improve maternal healthcare, which the White House released a fact sheet on prior to the president addressing the nation about the high court's ruling. However, Harris altered the agenda in light of the ruling and only spoke about Friday morning's breaking news.
The vice president spoke on the court's ruling hours after President Joe Biden did the same.
The maternal health fact sheet didn't include any mention of abortion rights. It focused on expanding postpartum coverage, creating a maternal health hotline, expanding social services, implementing a Maternal Health Day of Action and more.
The vice president, somber in her delivery, said that millions of American women have lost access to the healthcare their mothers and grandmothers had before them.
"This is a healthcare crisis," Harris said. "This is the first time in the history of our nation that a constitutional right has been taken away from the people of America."
She echoed the president and other Democratic leaders in asking the American people to band together and defend "one of the most fundamental ideals" that generations have been fighting for: "To stand for liberty. To stand for freedom. To stand for self-determination and for the right to privacy."
The vice president alluded to the importance of electing leaders who protect and defend individual rights.
"As the president said earlier today, with your vote you can act and you have the final word," Harris said. "So this is not over."