In the ongoing battle against Texas' recently enacted ban on abortions after six weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke out strongly against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's vow to "work tirelessly" to "eliminate all rapists."
"To arrogantly dismiss concerns about rape survivors, and to speak those words that were empty words, that were false words, that were fueled with not only arrogance but bravado — that is not who we want in our leader," Harris said at a recall campaign rally Wednesday for embattled California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a friend and fellow Democrat.
"We want in our leaders someone like Gavin Newsom who always speaks the truth on behalf of all the people in a way that is about uplifting, that is about helping to understand the plight of working people, to understand the dignity of all people."
The remarks that Harris was referring to were Abbott's response to a claim that Texas' new abortion law might force a rape or incest victim to carry their pregnancy to term. Abortions remain available to all for the first six weeks after conception, Abbott said.
"Obviously, it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion, and so, for one, it doesn't provide that," Abbott said in response to the claim.
Harris also rebuked red states for taking legislative actions that go against the progressive will of governors such as Newsom in California.
"What's happening in Texas, what's happening in Georgia, what's happening around our country with these policies that are about attacking women’s rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, workers' rights — they think if they can win in California, they can do this anywhere," Harris told the crowd.
"Well, we will show them, you're not going to get this done. Not here, never."
Harris is a former senator and attorney general of California and a Newsom political ally, despite his state gathering enough support to trigger the recall election, which concludes Sept. 14.
"We fight for our country, we fight for the values we hold dear, we fight for working people, we fight for organized labor, we fight for Dreamers, we fight for women, we fight for voting rights and we stand as Democrats saying we are proud to do all of that and more," Harris concluded.
Newsom has a comfortable lead as the recall election is ongoing. According to a Suffolk University poll released Wednesday, nearly 58% of California voters are against the recall.
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