Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first interview since Roe v. Wade was overturned on Friday.
She told CNN that she was on the Air Force Two when the ruling was announced. Harris was on her way to Aurora, Illinois, to promote the administration's policies that aid with maternal health. The news shocked Harris.
“The court actually took a constitutional right that has been recognized for half a century and took it from the women of America. That’s shocking. When you think about it, in terms of what that means, in terms of democratic principles, in terms about the ideals upon which we were founded on, about liberty, about freedom,” Harris told CNN’s Dana Bash.
Harris also touched on her own personal experiences and what Roe v. Wade means for families, per Fox News.
She said that the news affected her as a parent of two adults, a godmother of teens and an aunt to a pre-schooler, adding that everyone has something to lose: “First of all, if you are a parent of sons, do think about what this means for the life of your son and what that will mean in terms of the choices he will have.”
“I definitely believe this is not over,” she said in the interview, per The Los Angeles Times.
Harris also commented on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his statements regarding other rights, like gay marriage and birth control.
“I think he just said the quiet part out loud,” Harris said. “And I think that is why we all must really understand the significance of what just happened. This is profound.”
Per The Washington Post, Harris said she “never believed” the Senate testimony of Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch during their confirmation hearings, in which they each talked about the legal precedent of the Roe v. Wade ruling. Both voted to overturn the 50-year-old abortion ruling.
“I never believed them. I didn’t believe them. That’s why I voted against them,” Harris said.
Talking about solutions, Harris said that the administration is looking into ways to provide women with resources like child care and travel funding, but she revealed what the focus is right now. According to Harris, the administration’s priority is inflation, per CNN.
“I think that there can be no higher priority than what we have been clear is our highest priority, which is bringing down the costs and the prices as much as we possibly can — and we will stay focused on that,” the vice president said.
When asked whether she is still planning to run for reelection beside President Joe Biden in 2024, she said: “Joe Biden is running for reelection, and I will be his ticket mate.”