A Kamala Harris VP: A Triumph for Reproductive Rights?

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) is the third woman, first Black woman, and first Asian American vice-presidential nominee for a major party in U.S. history. Harris has a long history of defending women’s bodily autonomy and contraceptive access, making her vice presidency a potential victory for reproductive freedom.

Senator Kamala Harris has defended abortion access for years. As the attorney general of California, she joined a brief regarding the Supreme Court Texas case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, to implore the Supreme Court to defend abortion access in Texas. During the Democratic primary, Harris was one of the only candidates who proposed to codify Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion as a permanent law. Her plan for reproductive rights also detailed that states with overridden abortion laws due to a violation of Roe v. Wade (in the last 25 years) must secure approval from the federal Justice Department before the implementation of any abortion-related law. Both of these policies would be a huge feat in the battle for bodily autonomy in the U.S., specifically in safeguarding states from dangerous abortion restrictions. Senator Harris also supports public funding for abortion services and federal funding for family planning clinics and opposes parental notification for abortion for minors.

Senator Harris has also historically advocated for contraceptive access. Harris celebrated her personal and familial history of fighting for contraceptive rights in a tweet in May of 2020,

“My grandmother traveled across India, bullhorn in hand, to talk to women about accessing birth control. Fighting for critical health care is who I am & I won’t stop pushing back against Republicans’ shameful attempts to restrict birth control. Women deserve better. #HandsOffMyBC”

In June of 2019 Senator Harris co-introduced, the Affordability is Access Act, which would ensure affordable and accessible over-the-counter birth control throughout the country. It specifically promotes access for communities with health disparities such as low-income communities, people of color, rural communities, etc.

Although Biden supports pro-choice policy, he has historically failed to take a far-left approach to reproductive rights legislation. A Senator Kamala Harris vice presidency, however, holds strong implications for more extensive support of reproductive rights and extensive legislation.