Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris's Meeting with New Jersey State Legislators on Reproductive Rights

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris convened more than 20 New Jersey state legislators, local leaders, and advocates who are fighting on the frontlines to protect reproductive rights. Today's meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey follows engagements about reproductive rights that the Vice President held with health care providers, faith leaders, constitutional law and privacy experts, advocates, state Attorneys General, and other state legislators. The Vice President convened state legislators at the White House on July 8, 2022; in Orlando, Florida on July 14, 2022; and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 16, 2022.

The Vice President thanked the state legislators for their work protecting abortion access, highlighting the legislation passed so far to codify the right to abortion, provide funding to support reproductive health care services, and protect providers and privacy. The Vice President also thanked the leaders for pursuing further action to protect access to care, including by passing additional legislation. She also encouraged the legislators to look for ways to support and coordinate with state legislators from other states as part of a broad coalition to protect abortion access.

The participants discussed how people do not need to give up their own beliefs to agree that the government should not interfere with women's decisions over their own bodies. They agreed that everyone deserves to have access to health care and noted the importance of keeping equity at the center of the conversation. The leaders also discussed the need to improve maternal health care systems across New Jersey and the country, noting the connection between maternal health care and reproductive health care. The Vice President told the state legislators, local leaders, and the advocates that she looks forward to continuing to work together to protect reproductive rights and freedoms.

Speakers

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure
• New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin
• New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz
• New Jersey Assemblywoman Mila Jasey
• Roslyn Rogers Collins, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey
• Alejandra Sorto, Campaign Strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey