In an interview with NBC's Hallie Jackson, Harris made it clear that she does not support religious exemptions for abortion and would not compromise on this issue, even under a potentially divided government.
"Fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body should not be subject to concessions," Harris stated in the interview, as reported by Fox News. This stance has been met with strong opposition from Christian and pro-life leaders, who argue that it is antagonistic towards doctors of faith and Catholic hospitals, who view abortion as the sinful taking of innocent life. They have raised concerns about whether she would uphold constitutional protections for religious Americans if she were to win the presidency.
Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, expressed his concerns in an interview with Fox News Digital, stating, "Kamala Harris' comments here show that she believes the First Amendment no longer applies to people of faith, including Catholics." He further warned that Harris is "setting the stage to put Catholic doctors in jail, to strip medical licenses from Catholic physicians and to shut down Catholic health care as we know it."
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Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a senior fellow with The Catholic Association, urged Harris to clarify her position, questioning whether she would "force Americans who object on religious or conscience grounds, to participate in abortion." Christie added that this wouldn't be the first instance of Harris using her political power to infringe upon the rights of religious Americans.
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The Biden-Harris administration has faced criticism from Christians and pro-life groups for their legal actions against activists who prayed outside of abortion clinics under the Freedom of Access to Clinical Entrances Act. Activist Lauren Handy, with Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in May for organizing a protest outside a clinic in Washington, D.C., in 2020. CatholicVote and others have accused the Biden-Harris administration of "weaponizing" the Justice Department against abortion opponents.
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Harris has consistently refused to specify any restrictions on abortion that she supports. When pressed by Jackson on potential compromises to pass legislation expanding abortion access, Harris declined to "engage in hypotheticals." She emphasized the importance of reinstating the protections of Roe v Wade, stating, "A basic freedom has been taken from the women of America, the freedom to make decisions about their own body. And that cannot be negotiable."
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Harris has backed legislation in Congress that would codify the Supreme Court's now defunct opinion in Roe v. Wade, which would guarantee federal protections for abortion access and override nearly all abortion restrictions enacted by pro-life lawmakers at the state level nationwide.
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William Wolfe, founder and executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, criticized Harris' position, stating it makes "crystal clear" that "Christians are not welcome in the modern, pro-abortion Democrat Party." He added, "Her fanatical commitment to abortion access and disregard for the First Amendment isn't a bug – it's a feature of her platform. I fail to see how any Christian can support such a barbaric and unconstitutional candidate in good faith."
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The 2024 presidential election is predicted to be one of the closest in decades, with seven battleground states expected to be decided by slim margins. The support from significant voter blocks, like Catholics, could be the deciding factor. "The Catholic vote will be critical, as it has been in every election over the last 40 years," said Burch.
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Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader, an Iowa-based socially conservative group, argued that the 2024 presidential contest represents a "bigger contrast of worldview" than any previous election. He criticized Harris' stance, stating, "You can't tell a doctor my so-called ‘right’ to abortion trumps your right of conscience, so I can force you to commit what you believe is murder. That's not the America I grew up in, not the America our Founders would have ever permitted, but that's the Kamala Harris America."
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Harris is scheduled to visit Texas on Friday, a state her campaign has labeled as "ground zero of Trump's abortion bans." She will attend an event in Houston with women "who have faced the direct impacts of these extreme laws" and will discuss the "harm Donald Trump's abortion bans have caused across the nation." As the nation heads towards the 2024 presidential election, the issue of abortion rights and religious freedom remains a contentious topic, with the outcome potentially shaping the future of American healthcare and religious liberty.
