JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Jacksonville Wednesday afternoon to speak against Florida’s new 6-week abortion ban that took effect at midnight.
Harris called the ban “extreme,” a campaign event Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
Six weeks is before most people learn they’re pregnant, so opponents say Florida’s new law is essentially a near-total ban. It does include exceptions for cases involving rape or incest, or to save the pregnant person’s life.
Florida’s abortion ban is expected to boost turnout at the polls this November, and the Biden-Harris campaign wants to make it clear that abortion is on the ballot this year in Florida in two ways: In the race for the White House and in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment.
Watch Harris’ full speech below.
The proposal says, “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s health care provider.”
If 60% of voters approve Amendment 4, the right to an abortion would become a constitutional right in the state of Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis is against it.
He signed the six-week ban into law last year, but it didn’t take effect because it was held up in the courts due to legal challenges surrounding the state’s 15-week abortion ban. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the ban last month, allowing the six-week rule to take effect May 1.
Harris called former President Donald Trump the architect behind a healthcare crisis.
“Starting this morning, women in Florida became subject to an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant. Which by the way, tells us the extremists who wrote this ban either don’t know how a woman’s body works or they simply don’t care,” Harris said.
Harris said this started when Trump selected three members of the U.S. Supreme Court with intentions for them to overturn Roe v. Wade and they did.
“Now, present day because of Donald Trump, more than 20 states have abortion bans...4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they had last night,” Harris said.
Trump has recently said he would leave the issue to the states.
“President Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion. Joe Biden and the Democrats are radically out of touch with the majority of Americans in their support for abortion up until birth and even after birth and forcing taxpayers to fund it,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary.
When asked about a federal ban, Trump again said it’s about the state’s rights.
“Florida, the contrast in this election could not be more clear. Basically, under Donald Trump, it would be fair game for women to be monitored and punished by the government. Whereas Joe Biden and I have a different view. We believe the government should never come between a woman and her doctor,” Harris said.
Mayor Donna Deegan was in attendance and she said she wished it was a day to celebrate, but she said it’s not.
Senator Tracie Davis shared her story of how she had an abortion and it was a decision for herself, her husband, and doctor to make.
She said she doesn’t want other women to feel ashamed about this and said fear is not an option when it comes to this fight.
The group Students for Life of America said it planned to rally outside the Planned Parenthood facility on Powers Avenue from 10:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday.
News4JAX will have full coverage of both the protests and Harris’ visit throughout the day.