Vice President Kamala Harris seems to have found her niche: closed-door meetings to discuss abortion rights. The VP has mastered a few key talking points and gone to Iowa, of all places, to speak privately on the subject. The roundtable discussion was at Grand View University in Des Moines with Democratic leaders, community advocates for abortion, and reproductive health care providers.
Harris says Iowa is “on the front lines” of the fight over abortion access. “There are attorney generals around the country - including here - who are attempting to tell pharmacies, ‘Do not dispense abortion medication in the state,’” Harris told those gathered.
Iowa is a Red State
The point was that newly-elected Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird had recently signed a letter with 19 other Republican AGs warning Walgreens to stop selling abortion medication by mail, lest a series of lawsuits be brought against the company.
The Iowa junket, the first-time Harris has visited, comes on the heels of a lawsuit in Texas alleging the FDA improperly approved the abortion drug Mifepristone. Earlier in the week, in a press call with selected media, the VP warned, “[I]f extremists and politicians can override FDA approval and remove one medication from the shelves - in this case, abortion medication - one must ask: What medication is next?”
Kim Reynolds (Photo Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is also not a fan of Harris or the quest to overturn her state’s right to run independently of the federal oversight on matters of abortion. Instead, Reynolds focuses on Iowa’s 2018 “fetal heartbeat” law that would ban most procedures - with exemptions for rape and incest or to save the mother’s life. An injunction currently blocks the law, and the governor is working with the courts to reverse the sanction.
Iowa State House Republicans have introduced legislation to ban all abortions in the state after determining conception. Since the US Supreme Court reversal of Roe v Wade, Iowa, like all other states, now has the power to allow or restrict the process. Iowa’s Supreme Court followed their federal colleagues and determined the state’s Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion.
Republicans Beat Her to the Punch
(Photo by Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)
Harris’ trip follows several Republican presidential hopefuls such as former US Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and of course, number 45 himself, former President Donald Trump. Anti-woke messaging Vivek Ramaswamy was in early-caucus land in February, as was former Vice President Mike Pence. Governor Reynolds and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R) have rallied the troops and promised facetime for visiting Republican-declared candidates or just powerhouses like Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Tough Love
Harris’ visit to Iowa comes as the Democratic National Committee has reprioritized early presidential primary caucus states to include a more significant amount of minority voters. As a result, Iowa was once at the top of the heap and now finds its position downgraded. But Harris was not in town to smooth the feathers of the faithful. Instead, the visit is simply the latest location of her nationwide tirade on abortion rights since June 2022.
The brief meeting with the anointed was followed by a visit to the NCAA Men’s Basketball showdown at Wells Fargo Arena. Harris’ alma mater, Howard University, faced off against the University of Kansas. The Jayhawks wiped the floor with Howard, winning by 28 points. But Harris didn’t stick around: After a quick parade wave on the Megatron, she hopped back on Air Force Two and headed for friendlier climes.
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