Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 8, 2022

VP travel pool report #1 - Wheels down and rolling

Good afternoon from Austin where the VP is scheduled to speak on reproductive rights at University of Texas at Austin and will later speak at the Johnson-Jordan Reception hosted by Texas Democrats.

VP landed at 2:25 p.m. at the South Terminal of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. VP departed from Joint Base Andrews about two hours earlier.

VP disembarked at 2:37 p.m. to blue skies, scattered clouds, mid 80s.

US Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Andy Brown greeted the VP. They chatted for a few minutes, VP gave a wave to the pool before getting in black SUV to drive to UT Austin.

VP travel pool report #2 - VP arrives at UT Austin

VP arrived at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on the University of Texas at Austin's campus at 3:03 p.m.

VP is scheduled to be joined by Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Julieta Garibay, Senior Capacity Building Director for Groundswell Fund.

There were about 140 people in attendance who were invited by the LBJ school of public affairs at UT Austin, LBJ library and Vice Presidents Office. The attendees were mostly undergraduate and graduate students.

VP travel pool #3 - VP remarks at LBJ Library

VP was asked eight questions about reproductive rights by moderators Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Julieta Garibay, Senior Capacity Building Director for Groundswell Fund and audience members, who had previously submitted questions.

The VP spoke about reproductive rights in the context of her family history (her mother was an advocate for access to reproductive health as a breast cancer researcher) , her works as a prosecutor in California and California senator and the efforts of the Biden/Harris administration.

VP mentioned the importance of speaking on reproductive rights at the LBJ Library, given former President Lyndon B Johnson's impact on voting and civil rights. Luci Baines Johnson, the former president's daughter, was in attendance.

VP said that people don't need to abandon their beliefs to know that the government should not be making reproductive health decisions. The crowd applauded to this remark.

VP said the Biden/Harris admin is working with DOJ to collaborate with state Attorney Generals to ensure Americans have a right to travel. Harris made a point to single out Texas AG Ken Paxton as one state leader that the Biden/Harris administration is has not worked with.

VP made a point of championing young leaders and their role in advocating for reproductive rights. She said it was critical to build coalitions with other groups who are seeing attacks on their rights (LGBTQ+, women and voting rights in general). VP pointed to the work of advocates in Kansas who rejected a proposal to restrict reproductive access. "I'm so in awe of those people in Kansas who said, 'Mhhmhh, we're not having it,'" said the VP.

Additional quotes:

"I have someone who's close to me, whose sister-in-law, just a couple of weeks ago, who died in childbirth. This is 2022 in America." said VP when asked by an audience member sitting in the front about what the Biden/Harris administration is doing to address disparities in maternal mortality rates. VP said Black women in Texas are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, regardless of education or socioeconomic status. After answering the question, VP smiled at the questioner who appeared to be a young woman and said that they needed her efforts to keep fighting for reproductive rights.

"Let's take the flag back, this is about freedom and liberty," VP said in response to a question from Timmaraju about how she views the fight for abortion moving forward.

"A democracy will be as strong as our willingness to fight for it," said VP in response to a question about what makes her hopeful for the future, a question submitted by an audience member.

VP travel pool report #4 - Preview of VP's speech

VP arrived at the Hyatt Regency Hotel just before 5 p.m. for the Johnson-Jordan Reception hosted by the Texas Democrats.

A preview of the VP's speech was shared on background from a Democratic official:

• On Saturday, October 7th, 31 days from the midterm elections, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the keynote address at the sold out Texas Democratic Party's Johnson-Jordan Dinner.

• As she has done throughout her travel across the nation, the Vice President is expected to acknowledge and condemn Governor Abbott's extremist attacks on voting rights and reproductive rights, following the lead of replicating national Republican leaders' attacks on freedom and liberty.
  
  • Currently, there are 2 abortion laws in effect in Texas:
    
    • Under the trigger law, abortion is banned in Texas from the point of fertilization, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Under this law, performing an abortion is a felony punishable up to life imprisonment.
    • In 2021, prior to the Dobbs decision, Gov. Abbott signed SB 8 into law, which is a six-week ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. It allows private citizens to bring suit against health care providers or facilitators of abortions.
  • In 2021, Gov. Abbott signed a sweeping voting law (SB 1), which:
    
    • Bans 24-hour and drive-through voting;
    • Requires mail ballots to include a driver's license number or the last four of a Social Security Number on the ballot envelope;
    • Expands the power of partisan poll watchers and constrains election workers' ability to stop harassment by poll watchers.

• The Vice President will also praise the Democratic Texas legislators "principled protest" opposing SB1 that she describes as "full on attack on voting rights"
  
  • "You all came to the White House because you knew this was not only a Texas fight—this was a national fight. And even though SB1 passed—you demonstrated the grit that real leaders in Texas are made of.

• As we head into the final month before the midterm elections, the Vice President will also remind Democrats of the accomplishments they made possible by electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, including historic investments in our nation's infrastructure ($8B to Texas alone), lowering the costs of health care and prescription drugs through the Inflation Reduction Act and cancelling student loan debt that will impact up to 3 million Texans.

• Finally, the Vice President will remind the audience that this election we have the opportunity to end the attacks on reproductive freedom, voting rights and other extremist policies that are out of step with the will of the American people.
  
  • "Right here in Texas, you have registered more than 300,000 new voters since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Kansas voters turned out in record numbers to protect reproductive rights. And Democrats are winning in places like Alaska. It is no wonder these extremists are so scared to let Americans vote."

VP travel pool report #5 - VP remarks at Johnson-Jordan Reception and departure

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa introduced VP. He said the stakes of the November election could not be higher and gave a shout out to the top Democratic candidates: Dem. Gov. candidate Beto O'Rourke, Dem Lt. Gov. candidate Mike Collier and Dem AG candidate Rochelle Garza.

Just before announcing Harris, Hinojosa said that this year's JJ Reception was the highest grossing in TX Democrat's history. The crowd responded with a big applause.

VP took the stage at 5:44 p.m. and spoke for 22 minutes.

"You all are doing some heavy lifting," VP said in greeting the audience, referring to Texas Democrats. "We know what you're doing here in Texas and we know you stay committed." The VP thanked the Texas democrats, calling them "Texas tough, tough like Texas president Lyndon B. Johnson."

Harris congratulates UT football (Longhorns) on today's win against the Oklahoma Sooners.

VP recounts meeting the Texas Democrats that broke quorum in June 2021 in protest of the Republican-led efforts that the Dems said would restrict voting rights. "Those legislators came to the White House ... because they knew this was not a Texas fight, but a national fight," said the VP.

VP notes that Biden/Harris received the largest vote for Democratic ticket in Texas in history.

VP highlights recent achievements of the Biden/Harris admin, with each item receiving a round of applause from the audience:

• Largest investment to address climate change in history
• Took on "big pharma" and gave Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices
• Passed extended background checks for firearm sales
• Cancelled student loan debt
• Lowest level of hispanic unemployment in history
• Biden's appointment of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
• Changing federal gov approach to marijuana (Biden pardoned all federal simple possession charges of marijuana earlier this week): "The bottom line there is that no one should have to go to jail for smoking weed," said the VP.

Harris mentions Abbott and the restrictions to reproductive healthcare in Texas, to which the crowd boos. "We trust the women of America, we trust the women of Texas," said VP.

"Where do we think this is heading?" VP asks. She suggests that GOP leaders will next target contraception, marriage equality and social security.

VP reiterate the need to pay attention to local elections, mentioning local prosecutor and secretary of state races.

VP gives explicit endorsement of O'Rourke: "Elect Beto O'Rourke as your next governor." VP adds the need for Democrats to hold onto US House and expand majority in Senate.

On the Democrats narrow majority in the Senate, which VP is the president of, she said that she has cast more tie-breaking votes than the previous record holder, Vice President John Adams, who was the nation's first VP. "I can't wait to cast the tie-breaking vote to pass voting rights and reproductive rights," said VP.

VP ended remarks at 6:06 p.m. and traveled back to Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

VP took a photo with staffers before boarding AF2 at 6:37 CT p.m.

At 6:52 p.m. CT AF2 took off for Joint Base Andrews.

Signing off as pool, feel free to email me with any questions.