WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said in a radio interview Tuesday that she supports a Senate procedural change to codify abortion rights.
Vice President Harris said she supports eliminating the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, known as the filibuster, to advance abortion legislation. But that task would depend on whether Democrats agree and retain the majority in the Senate, a arduous feat this November because The Republicans are apparently close to retaking control of the upper house.
“I think we should do away with the filibuster tactic for Roe and get to the point where 51 votes are enough to actually put back into law the protection of reproductive freedom and the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own bodies without the government telling them what to do,” she said in an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio.
Harris said in 2022 she would cast a decisive vote for abortion rights in her role as vice president. She has often promised to sign a codification of Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion that was overturned by the conservative U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said in August that Democrats would discuss rule changes to codify abortion rights. NBC reported this.
Trump in Pennsylvania
At a rally on Monday in PennsylvaniaRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump called himself a “protector” of women. Trump said women no longer had to think about abortion and that it was “now where it always had to be, in the states.”
“All they want to talk about is abortion,” the former president said at the rally, referring to the Democrats. “That really doesn’t mean anything anymore, because we have done something on the issue of abortion that nobody thought was possible.”
Trump called on Republican senators to abolish the filibuster tactic, but Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other leading Republicans such as Senator John Thune of South Dakota (No. 2) announced that they would keep the procedure.
Current Senate projections indicate that Republicans are likely to win the majority in the Senate. Republicans are also expected to gain a seat in West Virginia and will only have to defend their seats in Florida, Texas and Nebraska.
The Democrats must win in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, the Democrats would have to break a possible 50-50 tie in the Senate caused by a Democratic presidency – if they want to remain the majority party and change the filibuster rule.
If Harris wins and Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate, the vote of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the vice presidential candidate, would be the deciding vote.
During a Senate press conference on abortion on Tuesday, Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington said she supported Harris’ stance and that the vote would be an exception rather than an abolition of the filibuster tactic.
“We are talking about a simple procedure that allows the U.S. Senate to restore rights whenever someone has their rights taken away without being blocked by a filibuster tactic,” she said.
Harris, Trump and the economy
The Harris campaign held a press conference with business owner and “Shark Tank” investor Mark Cuban on Tuesday to promote Harris’ economic policies.
Polls have shown that voters believe Trump is better for the economy. Pew Research The study found that Trump’s biggest advantage is economics: 55 percent of voters believe the former president makes good economic decisions, and 45 percent of voters believe Harris makes good decisions on economic issues.
“In short, the vice president and her team are thinking about their policies,” Cuban said. “She’s not just saying off the cuff what she thinks people want to hear, like the Republican candidate.”
Swing states still the most popular states
The candidates will continue their campaigning and travel, especially to the swing states this week.
On Tuesday, Trump will visit Savannah, Georgia, where he will give a campaign speech in the afternoon about cutting taxes for businesses.
Walz is scheduled to return to his home state of Minnesota on Tuesday to attend a campaign reception.
Harris is on his way to Pennsylvania Wednesday to a campaign rally and then travels to Arizona on Friday and Nevada on Sunday.
Trump will stop in Mint Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday to give a speech about the importance of U.S. manufacturing. His running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, will travel to Traverse City, Michigan, on Wednesday to rally supporters.
Vance will deliver a campaign speech on the economy in Macon, Georgia, on Thursday and then host a voter mobilization campaign in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
On Friday, Trump is scheduled to hold a rally for his supporters in Walker, Michigan, and a town hall meeting in Warren, Michigan, in the evening.
Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.
