WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said in a radio interview Tuesday that she supports changing Senate procedure to codify abortion rights.
Vice President Harris has said she favors lifting the 60-vote Senate threshold, known as a filibuster, to advance abortion rights legislation. But that task would hinge on Democrats agreeing and maintaining majority control of the Senate, a statuesque order in November because Republicans appear potentially poised to regain control of the upper chamber.
“I think we should eliminate the filibuster on Roe and get to the point where 51 votes is enough to actually restore protections for reproductive freedom and the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body and not have the government tell them what to do,” she told Wisconsin Public Radio.
Harris said in 2022 that she would cast a tie-breaking vote pro-abortion rights in her role as vice president. She frequently pledged to sign the codification of Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion that was overturned by the conservative U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said in August that Democrats would discuss legislative changes to codify abortion laws, NBC reported.
Trump in Pennsylvania
At a rally in Pennsylvania on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called himself a “defender” of women. Trump said women no longer have to think about abortion and that it is now “where it always needed to be, in the states.”
“All they want to do is talk about abortion,” the former president said at the rally, referring to Democrats. “That doesn’t really matter anymore because we’ve done something on abortion that no one thought was possible.”
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Trump has called on Senate Republicans to abolish the filibuster, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other GOP leaders, such as No. 2 Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, have vowed to keep the procedure.
Current Senate projections indicate that Republicans will likely take control of the Senate. Republicans will also likely gain a seat in West Virginia and only need to hold seats in Florida, Texas, and Nebraska.
Democrats will need to secure victories in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In addition, Democratic senators would need to break a possible 50-50 tie through a Democratic presidency — if they want to remain the majority party and change the filibuster.
If Harris wins and Democrats hold 50 Senate seats, then Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the vice presidential nominee, would be the tie-breaking vote.
During a Senate news conference on abortion Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington said she supported Harris’ position and that it would be an exception to the filibuster rather than eliminating it.
“We are talking about a simple procedure that will allow, in the event of someone being deprived of their rights, the United States Senate, without the obstruction of power, to restore those rights,” she said.
Harris, Trump and the Economy
On Tuesday, the Harris campaign held a news conference with business owner and “Shark Tank” investor Mark Cuban to endorse Harris’ economic policies.
Polls have shown that voters see Trump as a better option for the economy. Pew Research found that Trump’s main advantage is the economy, with 55% of voters believing the former president makes good economic decisions and 45% of voters believing Harris makes good decisions regarding the economy.
“In short, the vice president and her team are rethinking her policies,” Cuban said. “She’s not saying what she thinks the crowd wants to hear, like the Republican nominee.”
Battleground States is still a favorite
This week, candidates will continue to campaign and travel, especially in key battleground states.
On Tuesday, Trump plans to visit Savannah, Georgia, where he will deliver an afternoon campaign speech on tax cuts for business owners.
Walz is scheduled to return to his home state of Minnesota on Tuesday, where he will attend a campaign event.
Harris is scheduled to head to Pennsylvania for a campaign rally on Wednesday, then to Arizona on Friday and Nevada on Sunday.
Trump will stop in Mint Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday to deliver a speech on the importance of manufacturing goods in the U.S. His vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, will travel to Traverse City, Michigan, on Wednesday to rally supporters.
On Thursday, Vance will deliver a campaign speech on the economy in Macon, Georgia, and then lead a voter mobilization campaign in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
Trump is scheduled to hold a rally of supporters in Walker, Michigan, on Friday and a meeting with residents in Warren, Michigan, that evening.
Jennifer Shutt assisted in preparing this report.
