“I never trusted them. I didn’t believe them. That’s why I voted against them, “the vice president said in an interview Monday as Bash, citing previous statements by Judges Brett Cavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, highlighting Rowe’s long-running dispute with Wade. had a precedent, Harris asked if she believed the two judges had deliberately misled the public and Congress during the confirmation process.
“It was clear to me when I sat in this chair as a member of the Senate Justice Committee that they were very likely to do what they had just done. That was my point of view. That was my opinion. That is why I voted as I did. ”
Her comments came shortly after Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said publicly that she felt misled by Cavanaugh, who she said assured her he would not cancel Rowe against Wade.
Harris, who flew with Air Force Two from Washington to Illinois on Friday to uncover the administration’s latest strategy to improve maternal health in the United States when the decision was made, said she was shocked by the decision.
“This is not over,” she added, referring to how she sees the Conservative Judicial Majority’s intentions regarding other existing rights.
Conservative Judge Clarence Thomas said in a concerted opinion on the ruling that the court should review other precedents that guarantee rights related to same-sex marriage and contraception.
“I think he just said the quiet part of the voice,” Harris told Thomas. “And I think that’s why we all really need to understand the meaning of what just happened. This is deep. And the way this decision came, I think, was so driven by the issue’s policy on what should be the values we place on freedom and liberty in our country. ”
Harris said the administration would “do everything in its power” to protect access to medical abortion. And she suggested that the administration look for ways to provide women in states where the procedure is banned with the resources they need, such as child care and travel funding, to have access to it in other countries.
But it seems to reject a growing demand from Democratic lawmakers, Harris said the administration is not currently discussing the use of federal land for abortion services in and around states that will ban the procedure.
“It’s not exactly what we’re discussing,” Harris said.
Biden’s calls to allow abortion providers to operate on federal property have raised concerns among some lawyers. And providing federal funding for women to travel outside the state has the potential to disrupt Hyde’s amendment, which bans federal funding for abortion in almost all cases.
A White House official on Monday made a similar argument, saying: “As long as this proposal is well-intentioned, it could put women and suppliers at risk. And importantly, in states where abortion is already banned, women and suppliers who are not federal employees can be potentially prosecuted. ”
When pressure was pushed on what else the Democratic-controlled White House, Senate and House of Representatives could do to defend abortion rights, Harris specifically pointed to Congress and the role the legislature could play in codifying abortion rights – if the Democrats had the votes. She has repeatedly stressed the importance of interim mandates in 2022 as an opportunity to elect more senators than Democrats who support abortion rights.
But when asked if Congress could do something sooner if the Senate filibuster is eliminated, she would not answer whether she would support the removal of the 60-vote threshold to pass protection against abortion.
“I think (the president) was aware of where we are on this issue of reproductive health and what the president and our administration need to do within our toolkit, and so far this is what we are pursuing,” Harris said.
Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at City Hall last year that he would be ready to change the filibuster to pass “and maybe more” voting rights legislation.
In a wide-ranging interview Monday, Harris stressed that inflation remains a priority for the Biden administration. But it did not directly answer the question of whether it believes the United States is heading for a recession or is discussing new tools the administration can use to deal with rising prices.
“I don’t think there can be a higher priority than what we are clear is our highest priority, which is to reduce costs and prices as much as possible – and we will stay focused on that,” the vice president replied. .
As the House of Representatives’ commission of inquiry into the January 6, 2021 uprising prepares for an unexpected hearing on Tuesday, Bash asked Harris if the hearings so far have changed her perceptions of her predecessor.
Harris praised former Vice President Mike Pence “for having the courage to do his job” when he refused to cancel the results of the 2020 presidential election despite pressure from Trump.
The vice president declined to say whether she would support criminal charges against Trump based on the commission’s findings.
Harris did not smile when asked about 2024, as some critics questioned whether the 79-year-old president would seek re-election. Bash asked her about the comments of Jim Clayburn, an ally of Biden representing South Carolina, from the majority in the House of Representatives, that if the president does not run, Clayburn will support Harris, the leading candidate.
“Joe Biden is running for re-election, and I will be his partner,” Harris said. “The point.”
This story has been updated with more information.
Kevin Liptak and Donald Judd of CNN contributed to this report.
Add Comment