Vice President Kamala Harris refused to answer whether or not she supports any gestational limits on abortion during an interview with CBS News’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
Interviewer Margaret Brennan asked Harris: “What is it that you believe? What week of pregnancy should abortion access be cut off?” Harris replied by repeatedly ignoring the line of questioning and instead insisted that Roe v. Wade be restored. Brennan then pushed back, stating that Roe was “nebulous because it was about viability, which could be anywhere between 20 to 24 weeks—”
“No, no, no, no, no. Let me be very clear,” Harris continued.
“Let me be very clear. From day one, the president has been clear, I have been clear. We need to put back the protections that are in Roe v. Wade into law. Since the Supreme Court took it, Congress has the power and ability to pass legislation to put those protections back in law and Joe Biden will sign that bill. So, that is what we want,” she said.
Kamala Harris has a very difficult time explaining which gestational limits — if any — she supports on abortion-on-demand pic.twitter.com/QDq6apMNwX
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 10, 2023
“But does it need to be specific in terms of defining where that guarantee goes up to and where it does not, at which week of pregnancy?” Brennan pressed.
“We need to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade,” Harris said. “We’re not trying to do anything that did not exist before June of last year.”
Brennan pushed further, asking if Harris feels the need to “be more precise” because Republicans are accusing Democrats of supporting abortion up until the moment of birth. Harris again dodged the question, instead calling the accusation “ridiculous” and a “mischaracterization of the point.”
“I am being precise,” Harris said. “We need to put into law the protections of Roe v. Wade. And that is about going back to where we were before the Dobbs decision.”
This is truly breaking news. Vice President Harris today said the idea that Democrats support abortion on demand, up to the moment of birth, is “ridiculous”. https://t.co/e7RIoOrzps
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 10, 2023
Some Republicans and conservative commentators took note of the interview and slammed Harris for refusing to state if she supports any limits on abortion.
“This is truly breaking news. Vice President Harris today said the idea that Democrats support abortion on demand, up to the moment of birth, is ‘ridiculous,”‘ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) posted to X.
Vice President Kamala Harris refuses to say at what week a baby should be protected by law.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) September 11, 2023
Watch this exchange.
Should it be when a baby feels pain?
When a baby has a heartbeat?
Birth?
She will not say. pic.twitter.com/1pIml5teOv
“Vice President Kamala Harris refuses to say at what week a baby should be protected by law. Watch this exchange. Should it be when a baby feels pain? When a baby has a heartbeat? Birth? She will not say,” Former White House press secretary and current Fox News Outnumbered co-host Kayleigh McEnany said.
She aligns with Virginia’s extremist progressive candidates — 40 weeks. https://t.co/EBLY8a0mvT
— Rob Damschen (@RobDamschen) September 10, 2023
“She aligns with Virginia’s extremist progressive candidates — 40 weeks,” said Rob Damschen, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) deputy communications director.
Harris is directly asked at what point does she support abortion, up until what week of pregnancy.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 10, 2023
She doesn't answer. https://t.co/PsvfSNOJIM
“Harris is directly asked at what point does she support abortion, up until what week of pregnancy. She doesn’t answer,” the Spectator contributing editor Stephen Miller posted.
No surprise that Harris refuses to list any specific week or limits on abortion. NARAL, Planned Parenthood (multimillion dollar donors to Dems) openly support no limits on abortion.
— SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) September 10, 2023
Are they wrong @KamalaHarris? pic.twitter.com/qoruRf6ovn
“No surprise that Harris refuses to list any specific week or limits on abortion. NARAL, Planned Parenthood (multimillion dollar donors to Dems) openly support no limits on abortion,” leading pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said. “Are they wrong Kamala Harris?”
Democrats have been waging a denial campaign around their support of abortion on demand in response to Republicans pointing out their extreme position, which is out of step with most Americans. However, several states — run by Democrats — have no restrictions on abortion whatsoever, including Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, DC. Many other Democrat-run states, like California, New York, and Illinois, allow abortions up to “viability” but allow abortions later in pregnancy with limited exceptions, including if a woman’s “mental health” is in danger.
On the federal level, Democrats have also supported a radical piece of proposed abortion legislation called the “Women’s Health Protection Act.” The legislation would usurp states’ ability to pass strong pro-life laws and would allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Twitter @thekat_hamilton.