Remarks By Vice President Harris In A Roundtable Discussion With Massachusetts State Legislators On Reproductive Rights | The White House

IBEW Native 103
Boston, Massachusetts

1:07 P.M. EDT
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thanks a lot, Rebecca.  Thanks.  Properly, good afternoon, everybody. 
 
     Governor, I recognize the function — the nationwide management that you’ve got supplied on this problem. 
 
     Congresswoman Pressley, I’ve watched your work within the halls of Congress and all through this lovely state, and I thanks to your management.
 
     And to all of the leaders who’re right here, as I stated earlier than the press got here in, you all are actually native leaders, statewide leaders, leaders in Massachusetts, however you’re additionally nationwide leaders.  You might be main by instance.
 
     The work that’s taking place right here in Massachusetts is a mannequin of labor that may and, we imagine, ought to occur across the nation, which is born out of the spirit of an appreciation for one of many elementary ideas of our nation, which is the importance of the idea of freedom and liberty and dignity. 
 
     So I thanks all.  And I’m right here to go to with you to listen to from you about what you’re doing on the bottom, how it’s working, what your challenges are, and likewise to speak with you about how we are able to assist this work. 
 
     I do imagine that this problem is a matter that impacts everybody in our nation.  And subsequently your management, by extension, impacts folks across the nation. 
 
     So we’re right here at present as a result of we share a elementary perception that we belief the ladies of America to make choices about what’s of their greatest curiosity.  And we imagine it’s they who ought to make that call and never their authorities.  It’s that easy. 
 
     We imagine that in relation to a number of the most intimate choices that any human being could make about their life and their future, that the federal government shouldn’t intervene with their capacity and have to make that call for themselves — or in the event that they select, with their family members, with their pastor, their priest, their rabbi — with their family members.  However the authorities shouldn’t be making that call for them. 
 
     I additionally strongly imagine that, on this problem, to face for these ideas of freedom and liberty doesn’t require anybody to desert their religion or their beliefs.  That is merely about saying the federal government shouldn’t be making the choice for that individual. 
 
     So, after we have a look at the place we’re, certainly — as you might have talked about, Rebecca — the President and I imagine that we face a healthcare disaster in America after the Dobbs choice was rendered — a healthcare disaster for a lot of causes. 
 
     In lots of states, extremist so-called leaders are passing legal guidelines that would supply no exception for rape or incest. 
 
     I’m a former prosecutor who specialised in baby sexual assault instances and violence towards girls.  The concept that we might require somebody who has endured an excessive act of violence after which topic her to the federal government’s will with out investing in her the self-determination to which she is entitled to make choices primarily based on what she believes is in her greatest pursuits is outrageous. 
 
     After we have a look at this problem, we all know that that is — to the purpose that you simply made, Rebecca — a difficulty that additionally overlaps with many different assaults on our democracy by extremist so-called leaders in our nation.
 
     You’ve however to have a look at these states the place these assaults are taking place on a lady’s proper to make choices about her reproductive healthcare, and you will notice from those self same so-called leaders assaults on voting rights, from those self same so-called leaders assaults on LGBTQ rights.  
 
     So, after we consider this problem, it pertains to a lot that’s elementary to what now we have believed till now has been about progress in our nation across the enlargement of rights.  However this second requires us to see there are extremist so-called leaders who imagine that the way in which ahead is to limit rights. 
 
     There’s a lot at stake proper now.  I applaud the leaders — these simply downhome leaders in Kansas for what they simply did two nights in the past.  As a result of they organized they usually spoke volumes.  They stated, “We belief the ladies to make choices about their lives.”  They usually stated, “This isn’t a partisan problem.” 
 
     They spoke loudly and stated, “It doesn’t matter who she voted for within the final election or who she plans on voting for within the subsequent election.  Don’t take her rights from her and permit the federal government to interchange its priorities for her priorities.” 
 
     The vote that occurred in Kansas additionally made clear what everyone knows: Nearly all of People agree with this precept. 
     So, I’ll shut by saying that our administration stands with the leaders who’re right here and with the ladies of America in a perception that they need to have the ability to make these choices for themselves. 
 
     The President has signed, now, govt orders addressing this problem with a whole-of-government strategy that features Well being and Human Providers, that features america Division of Justice, that features the Division of Protection.  I thank the Undersecretary for being right here. 
 
     And we’ll proceed to do the work that’s needed to guard the precise of the ladies of America to make choices for themselves and never have their authorities supersede their judgment with its personal. 
 
     With that, I thanks all.  Thanks.
 
                               END                 1:15 P.M. EDT