Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Indiana Democratic legislators to discuss reproductive rights at the Indiana State Library in Indianapolis, Monday, July 25, 2022. The Indiana legislature is starting a special legislative session to address new abortion legislation and refunds to residents from the states budget surplus. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 8:23 AM PT – Tuesday, July 26, 2022
The Biden administration deployed Kamala Harris to Indiana as the state becomes the first to hold a special session to discuss abortion laws. On Monday, Hoosier lawmakers discussed a bill that would ban abortions except in cases of rape or incest.
KAMALA HARRIS: “Women are getting pregnant every day in America, and this is a real issue.” pic.twitter.com/hWErnMztJf
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 24, 2022
Indiana’s current abortion laws state the procedure is legal up to 22-weeks. Women also reportedly have to undergo an ultrasound and wait 18-hours before receiving the procedure. Supporters of the new restrictions stress they are not trying to “criminalize” women, but support them in “bringing healthy babies into the world.”
“If government does not protect life, our first right, none of the other rights in the Bill of Rights matter,” said Nathaniel Mervar, a pro-life activist. “And for 50 years, this chamber has told us that we cannot abolish abortion because of Roe v. Wade. Now, Roe v. Wade has been overturned and yet there is no bill to ban abortion outright.”
However, the Vice President accused proponents of the bill of not understanding biology. Harris broke with her party by exclusively using the word “woman” to describe someone who gets pregnant while claiming abortion is integral to women’s health.
“And if you know how a woman’s body works, then you will understand that at the point that the vast majority of women realize they are pregnant, abortion will essentially be banned,” she stated.
While speaking at a press conference in Indianapolis, Harris claimed abortion is both constitutional and compatible with any religious belief.
“One does not have to abandon your faith or your beliefs to agree that the government should not be making this decision for her,” she noted.
Harris’ respect for bodily autonomy did not apply to the unvaccinated as the Biden administration pushed for a private employer COVID-19 vaccine mandate last year.
Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski chastised Harris’ visit by calling it opportunistic and out-of-touch with the needs of Hoosiers. Walorski argued that while inflation ravages savings accounts and crime envelopes America’s cities, the Biden administration is focusing on PR for its left-wing agenda. The chairman of Indiana’s Republican Party echoed these statements, saying there is no need of any Washington D.C. in Indiana.