What They're Saying About Vice President Kamala Harris' Nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms Tour Kick Off

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris marked the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by kicking off her nationwide "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour. During a speech in Waukesha County, WI, she called out extremists for proposing a national abortion ban, called on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, and urged the crowd of more than 500 attendees to stay engaged in the fight for fundamental freedoms across America. The Vice President also highlighted the harm caused by extreme abortion bans, shared stories of those who have been impacted, and connected the dots on who is responsible for this chaos, confusion, and harm.

This speech was a continuation of the Vice President's consistent leadership in the fight for reproductive rights. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she has held more than 60 convenings in 20 states while bringing together hundreds of elected officials, health care providers, faith leaders, students, and advocates who are on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom.

Here's what they are saying about the Vice President's speech:

The AP: Kamala Harris targets Trump as she rallies for abortion rights
Harris shared stories of women who have miscarried in toilets or developed sepsis because they were denied help by doctors concerned about violating abortion restrictions. "This is, in fact, a healthcare crisis," she said. "And there is nothing about this that is hypothetical."

Wisconsin faces an ongoing legal battle over abortion. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, Republicans argued that an 1849 law that was still on the books would effectively ban the procedure except in situations where a mother's life was at risk. "These extremists want to roll back the clock to a time before women were treated as full citizens," Harris said.

NPR: Why is Harris went to Wisconsin to talk about abortion
Vice President Harris marked the 51st anniversary of landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade on Tuesday by kicking off a tour to draw attention to new restrictions on abortion, laying the blame for them at the feet of former President Donald Trump…"The former president handpicked three Supreme Court justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe. It is a decision he brags about," Harris said in a fiery…speech. "How dare he!" One in three women of reproductive age live in states with abortion bans, Harris said. 

The Washington Post: Harris, Biden deliver fiery message on abortion rights
On Monday, Harris was, in many ways, leading the charge. She warned that the Supreme Court's decision — and efforts across the country to further restrict access to abortions — was part of a more sweeping erosion of rights pushed by Republicans. "In America, freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right," she told a cheering crowd gathered at a union building in a suburb of Milwaukee. "And that includes the freedom to make decisions about one's own body — not the government telling you what to do."

CNN: Harris pins the blame on Trump for Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday pinned blame squarely on Donald Trump for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, saying the former president is "proud that women are silently suffering" without a guaranteed right to abortion. "The previous president expressed his intentions quite clearly. And fast forward to just recently, says he's proud of what he did," Harris told CNN's Laura Coates during an exclusive interview in Wisconsin, where the vice president was launching a national tour in support of reproductive rights.

She said [he] relishes his role in new, restrictive abortion laws that have emerged in the aftermath of the high court ruling. "By inference, he is proud that women have been deprived of fundamental freedoms to make decisions about their own body; by inference, proud that doctors are being penalized and criminalized for providing health care, proud that women are silently suffering because they don't have access to the health care they need," Harris added. "So, let's understand that the stakes are so very high."

The New York Times: Biden and Harris Target Abortion Laws, and Trump, on Roe's 51st Anniversary
Vice President Kamala Harris visited Wisconsin on Monday to begin a national tour in support of reproductive rights and highlight steps the Biden administration has taken to navigate around restrictive abortion laws in the United States….

Ms. Harris met with a medical provider who has felt constrained by state laws when trying to care for her patients, and with a couple who had tried to seek care during a pregnancy complication and had been turned away by doctors who were afraid to intervene. The couple, who were not named but received a standing ovation from the crowd, left an impression with Kelly Gleeson, a stay-at-home mother of three who brought her 9-year-old daughter, Charlotte, to the event: "I can't imagine that," Ms. Gleeson said. "I can't imagine being in such a dire situation and being told 'we can't help.'"

Reuters: Biden, Harris target Trump, Republicans on abortion rights
Harris, kicking off a national tour on abortion rights in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, blamed former U.S. President Donald Trump for helping reverse U.S. abortion rights. "The former president hand-picked three Supreme Court Justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe. He made a decision to take your freedoms and it is a decision he does not regret," Harris told a rally outside Milwaukee.

MSNBC: 'How dare he!': Kamala Harris hammers Trump, saying he's 'proud' to have overturned Roe
Vice President Kamala Harris took center stage in the Democrats' renewed push for abortion rights and marking the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling on Monday in Wisconsin. In her fiery speech, the vice president drew attention to new restrictions on abortion, laying sole blame to former President Donald Trump saying he, "hand-picked three Supreme Court justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe. He made a decision to take your freedoms."

USA Today: Kamala Harris says extremists 'trying to take us backward' on anniversary of Roe v. Wade
On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Vice President Kamala Harris called out extremists who've worked to restricted abortion access across the United States.

Wisconsin Public Radio: Vice President Kamala Harris voices support for abortion access at Wisconsin visit
On the 51st anniversary of the monumental Roe v. Wade decision, Vice President Kamala Harris took to Waukesha County to discuss the importance of protecting abortion rights in post-Roe America. The visit — which was the first stop on her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour — comes days after Wisconsin Republicans unveiled a bill that would ban abortions after 14 weeks. During a speech in Big Bend, Harris said she and President Joe Biden will work to defend abortion rights from "extremists" who want to see it banned…

Harris also promised to protect abortion access at the national level. "What they need to know is that if Congress passes a national abortion ban, President Joe Biden will veto it," Harris said.