JUST IN: Vice President Kamala Harris Delivers Remarks At Campaign Event In Kalamazoo, Michigan

5 months ago

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a Biden/Harris campaign event in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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00:00everyone, please have a seat. It's really good to be back in Michigan. I want to thank

00:05you all for the work you're doing. I want to thank Debbie Stabenow. Where are you? She's

00:09that extraordinary senator of yours. She's over there somewhere. There she is. Thank

00:15you, Senator. Every time I think I've come to this state, she's met me on the tarmac,

00:19including today. Thank you for your leadership always. Thank you. Before we begin our conversation

00:25today with these two extraordinary leaders, I do want to discuss briefly what happened

00:32on Saturday. I've not had a chance yet to publicly talk about it, but I will say a few

00:38words about the attempt on the life of former President Trump over the weekend. As we all

00:43know, it was a heinous, horrible and cowardly act. My husband Doug and I are thankful he

00:49was not seriously injured that day. As soon as we saw what was happening, we said a prayer

00:55for his well being and our thoughts immediately turned to Melania, who we have met and their

01:03family. The bottom line is no one should have to fear for the safety of a loved one because

01:09they serve in public office. Our heart goes out to the family of Corey Comparator, a true

01:18hero who died protecting his family. And Doug and I, of course, are holding them close

01:24in our hearts. We are also wishing those who were critically injured that day a swift and

01:29full recovery. And we are thankful to the United States Secret Service, the first responders

01:35and local authorities. The United States of America, I believe, is the greatest democracy

01:45the world has ever known. Yes. But in the aftermath of this weekend's shootings and

01:58shooting, excuse me, one of the questions we now confront the one of the questions we

02:02now confront is about the way we should engage with one another in this campaign. On Sunday

02:10evening, our President Joe Biden issued a call for unity, and there must be unity around

02:18the idea that while our nation's history has been scarred by political violence, violence

02:26is never acceptable. There can be no equivocation about that. At the same time, the hallmark

02:40of American democracy, the hallmark of any democracy, is a strong competition of ideas,

02:49policies and a vision for the future. And just as we must reject political violence,

02:56we must also embrace a robust discussion about what is at stake in this election. The surest

03:05way to reaffirm the strength of our democracy is by engaging in a vigorous and civil exchange

03:15of ideas. And one of the ideas and one of the principles that is at stake in this election

03:25is the issue of reproductive freedom. And that is why I am here today to discuss that

03:31topic, and I look forward to our conversation. Thank you all very much.

03:35All right, I get to kick this off. It's an honor. I'm here as a conservative, pro-choice

03:53woman. And I don't think ten, five or even maybe two years ago, we would have been talking

04:01about reproductive rights in elections, because it was seen as too controversial, not a winning

04:07issue. And frankly, it seemed like settled law. Clearly, the landscape has shifted 180

04:17degrees. How do you see this moment and how we got here?

04:23So first, I want to thank the two of you for your extraordinary courage and leadership

04:29on this issue. The voice that you each have carried and continue to carry is the voice

04:35of so many people who may not have the ability to do what the two of you have done so courageously,

04:42and I thank you for that. And we should applaud their courage. It takes a lot of courage to

04:48do what you two are doing. Extraordinary courage.

04:52So just over two years ago, the highest court in our land, and I think about it, the court

04:59of Thurgood Marshall and RBG, took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people

05:10of America, from the women of America. And thereafter, in state after state, extremists

05:20proposed and passed laws that would punish health care providers. I mean, in a state

05:26like Texas, you know their law provides for life in prison for a doctor who administers

05:33care. Laws that would punish women, criminalize doctors, punish women. Laws that make no exception

05:40even for rape and incest. You know, many of you know I started my career as a prosecutor.

05:46You may not know one of the reasons why. When I was in high school, I learned that my best

05:53friend was being molested by her stepfather. And I said to her, you have to come stay with

05:59us. You have to come live with us. I called my mother. My mother said, of course she does.

06:02And she did. So I decided I wanted to take on a career that was about protecting, in

06:09particular women and children, from violence. And the notion that these extremists would

06:14say to a survivor of such a crime of violence and a violation of someone's body, and to

06:21say to that survivor, and you have no right or authority to decide what happens to your

06:27body next, that's immoral. What has been happening in our state is that, you know, I've talked

06:37with so many women who have a similar story to what you have shared. Women who want to

06:45have children and have gone through the horrible experience of a miscarriage and need care,

06:54need medical care, and denied, denied access to an emergency room because the health care

07:00providers there believed they would be exposed to a criminal case if they helped. The number

07:08of stories that I've heard about women and their partners, their spouses, their families

07:14silently suffering. Think about what's happening in our country when you know that the majority

07:21of women who receive abortion care are mothers. Okay? Well, God help her if she's in a state

07:28with a ban. God help her if she has paid family leave or affordable child care. Think about

07:36it. You know, I say to my staff and my team for years, I say, you know, in public policy,

07:44always ask how does this impact a real human being? Right? So think about what we're saying

07:55to her, that she's going to, God help her if she's got extra money to buy a plane ticket

08:02and for a hotel room. And then what does that mean? She has to go to the airport standing

08:06line at TSA, get on a plane sitting next to a perfect stranger, go to a city where she's

08:12never been to receive this care to only get back as soon as she can because she's got

08:17to take care of those kids. Her best friend's not with her because her best friend's taking

08:20care of the kids. Think about what we're putting people through.

08:28The other thing, though, that I have experienced in these two years as I've traveled around

08:32our country, and I've taken almost 100 trips in connection with this issue. It's my sixth

08:38time since the Dobbs decision coming to Michigan. And one of the things I've found also are

08:44the stories of people who tell me about themselves. You know, I once felt very strongly about

08:51this. Didn't believe in abortion. Didn't believe in it. Right? And they are saying, but I didn't

09:02expect this would happen.

09:04That was the household I grew up in. That was me and my mom. We're conservatives. We

09:10grew up in a conservative Catholic household in Texas. Very Republican family. That was

09:15me. But we've evolved.

09:18I think that, first of all, on this issue, most people believe that one does not have

09:24to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree. The government should not be telling

09:32her what to do with her body. Right? If she chooses, she will talk with her priest or

09:40her pastor or her rabbi or her imam. But it shouldn't be the government telling her what

09:48to do. And I do believe the majority of us as Americans have empathy and don't will upon

09:56another suffering. I do believe that. And that's what I'm finding, to your point, about

10:05people who felt strongly before the decision came down, and now they're seeing how it's

10:08playing out, and they don't intend that people would have that experience.

10:19As I mentioned earlier, I have personally navigated the challenges of miscarriage and

10:23secondary infertility, which has deepened my understanding of the importance of having

10:27the right to make informed decisions about your own reproductive health. Miscarriage

10:32is extremely common, with one in four pregnancies ending in loss, yet it remains a topic that's

10:37rarely discussed openly. My experience highlights the critical need for women to have access

10:42to safe medical care. Like this conversation today, you've been intentional about speaking

10:49to folks across the political spectrum about what is at stake on this issue. You have traveled

10:55all across the country, including to traditionally conservative areas, to speak about the importance

11:01of reproductive freedom, and have shown up at the places where freedom is under attack.

11:06And now this is your seventh visit to Michigan as Vice President, and the second trip this

11:11year to Michigan to talk about reproductive rights. Why is it important for you to show

11:17up and bring this message?

11:21Again I thank you and both of you for being here. I think we, I'll repeat the point that

11:29I made earlier. I think that most of us agree that we shouldn't allow supposed leaders to

11:42do things that hurt people. You know, there's something very basic about this. I think that

11:50there is something that is very basic about this in terms of who we are as Americans and

11:56our founding principles, which include a founding principle that we believe in freedom.

12:02We believe in freedom. Freedom from the government telling us what to do about matters of heart

12:08and home. We believe in the right of people to make basic decisions like when and if they

12:16will start a family and how. You know, in traveling the country, part of what I point

12:23out, which is what we all know, regardless of your gender, think about this. If we in

12:31this year of our Lord, 2024, have a state of being where the government can tell you

12:37what to do with your body, I mean the most basic of things you should have control over,

12:45everybody better watch out about what other freedoms you're taking for granted.

12:54And you are right that this is something that in my experience traveling the country, going

13:03to so-called red and so-called blue and so-called purple states, is that you know, you look

13:08at when this issue was on the ballot, from Montana to, I don't know, Virginia, look at

13:17so-called red and blue states. Whenever it was on the ballot, the American people voted

13:22for freedom. The American people voted for freedom. So I think it's something that should

13:32also in this moment in our country where for the last few years we've seen such division

13:40and attempts to divide us, this is a very, very serious, pivotal, foundational issue.

13:47But what we have seen is when the American people are presented with this issue, regardless

13:52of what party they're registered to vote with, they stand for freedom. Yeah.

14:00In that vein, and thank you, by the way, for traveling, for all the travel that you've

14:05done to reach the more conservative areas, I think this is an incredibly important conversation

14:10and moment to have.

14:13The extremists. The extremists are not done. For me, and I think Amanda would probably

14:22say the same, this isn't the Republican party that I grew up with. This isn't the party

14:27that I supported. I have greater concerns about the things that I'm seeing that Donald

14:36Trump has implemented along the way, and I have greater concerns about what's to come.

14:43What do you think is next?

14:47We have 111 days to determine that. Because therein also, in the midst of those who are

15:01trying to take individual freedoms, including the power to make basic decisions about your

15:06own life, we should remember the power of the people to make a decision about who sits

15:11in these offices. And that power rests with us, each one of us. And in these moments,

15:19we should not become dispirited. This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time

15:25to roll up our sleeves. But you're right. I mean, so the former president, first of

15:34all, listen, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the

15:40intention that they would do exactly what they did. And he's told us over and over

15:46again who he is on this subject. And then now, well, you know, there's a bit of a gas

15:51lighting going on where, oh, well, no, I just believe it should go to the states. Okay.

15:56So first of all, any of the historians here will know what that means when we start pushing

16:00states' rights. But let's put that aside. Okay, so you believe it should go to the states.

16:07Well, the way I look at it is then let's look at all the, I think it's now 21 or 22, Trump

16:14abortion bans in those 21, 22 states, which again make no exception some for rape or incest,

16:24which have contributed to IVF clinics and care being stifled, which have contributed

16:32to women having, I mean, awful experiences around miscarriage, which have contributed

16:40to people who are doctors and nurses and health care providers being afraid they might go

16:45to jail for administering care. And, you know, and then recently the former president selected

16:54his running mate, the Senator Vance, J.D. Vance, understanding that, you know, that

17:01banned. This is a fellow who in the United States Senate participated in blocking protections

17:06for IVF. This is an individual who has said he is for a national and has made every indication

17:14that he is for a national abortion ban. And so, again, this is where the power is with

17:20the people. We have an election coming up. Don't, listen, in contrast to the former president,

17:26Joe Biden has been very clear, has been very clear. If there were any attempt at a national

17:34abortion ban, he would veto it. And if we have the right people in Congress, people

17:38like Debbie Stabenow and others, and they put back in law the protections of Roe v.

17:44Wade, our president, Joe Biden, will sign it into law.

17:49So pivoting a little bit, this is an issue that I personally very much care about. I've

18:03worked on a lot, especially having a family member that experienced gun violence. As you

18:09mentioned in your opening remarks, gun violence in America is top of mind for so many people

18:15right now. And there is no place for political violence or gun violence in our nation. Last

18:22year, I was proud to advocate for new laws that were passed here in Michigan. I advocated

18:27as a gun owner, a responsible gun owner, including a red flag law, universal background checks,

18:37expanding them, and a safe storage law. But we know that we still need additional reasonable

18:42gun safety laws at the federal level. How are you and President Biden working to address

18:48gun violence in America?

18:50So Olivia, you've been a great leader on this, and I'm sorry for the personal tragedies that

18:57you've experienced. Gun violence in America today is the number one cause of the death

19:04of children in America. Think about that. The number one cause of the death of children

19:12in America is gun violence. Not car accidents, not some form of cancer, gun violence. Today

19:21in our country, one in five Americans has a relative, a family member who was killed

19:27by gun violence. And it doesn't have to be this way. And it's a false choice for people

19:35to say, well, you're either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone's

19:38guns away. I'm in favor of the Second Amendment. I'm also in favor of the assault weapons

19:44ban, of universal background checks, red flag laws. Right? And to your point, the leadership

19:57here in Michigan has been extraordinary on this. And we need people in Washington, D.C.

20:02to watch what you all have done and how you've done it, because you've also pulled together

20:07coalitions of people, Democrats and Republicans and Independents. That bull don't care who

20:14you registered to vote with. Think about this. And then think about it in terms of the trauma.

20:23So last fall I started a college tour. By the way, I love Gen Z. You know, if you have

20:30Gen Z in your life, maybe it's complicated for you, but they're really great. They're

20:35really great. And among the many things that I would ask, you know, these auditoriums full

20:43of these young leaders, I would ask them, raise your hand if at any time between kindergarten

20:49and 12th grade you had to endure an active shooter drill. It was bone chilling. Almost

20:56every hand went up. Think about that. You know, when I was growing up, I'll speak for

21:01some of us here, I think, we had fire drills. But this is a whole other thing. And our young

21:12people think they should be in the classroom experiencing the wonders of the world and

21:18some part of their brain is concerned that someone will bust through that classroom door.

21:24And think about the trauma that gun violence has exacted not only on our young people,

21:31who are afraid of what might happen in the context of a mass shooting. Think of the trauma

21:36in terms of everyday gun violence that happens in places around our country. That trauma

21:43being undiagnosed and untreated. There are so many permeations and ramifications of this

21:49gun violence. In fact, we just announced a couple days ago under the president and our

21:56administration, we created 988. In fact, I'd encourage everyone here to know about it and

22:02pass it on. And it's basically a crisis line where people who are in crisis, it's not only

22:10a talk line, but there are mental health professionals who answer it 24 hours a day, seven days a

22:16week anonymously. So people can text or call when they're experiencing crisis to bring

22:24it down and also to know where to get help. But these are all the ramifications of this.

22:30And the solutions don't really require that much creativity. What they do require is people

22:36in the United States Congress have courage to act and do what we know is the right thing

22:43to do and not cower based on special interests and powerful lobbyists who are encouraging

22:51them to do something that actually is contrary to what is the health and well-being of our

22:55nation on such a specific issue.

23:01I've been sharing my personal story with the hope of encouraging women across the country

23:05to vote for candidates who support the right to choose because I firmly believe that politicians

23:11have no place in family planning, especially when it doesn't go as planned. Here in Michigan,

23:16we worked hard two years ago to pass Prop 3 to protect reproductive freedoms, reflecting

23:23the belief of 57% of Michiganders that every person has the fundamental right to reproductive

23:29freedom. However, with the upcoming presidential election, there's still so much at stake if

23:34Republicans gain control and are allowed to implement a nationwide abortion ban. With

23:39the election just four months away and the potential implications for reproductive rights,

23:44how are you planning to engage and mobilize voters and what strategies do you think will

23:48be most effective in reaching and inspiring people to take action?

23:55Thank you, Amanda, for that. One piece of this is to really remind people that they're

24:03not alone. I think there's something that has happened, I mentioned it earlier, that

24:10is making people feel like, you know, are people there for me? And we have to remind

24:19people we're all in this together. I think this is a moment that we have to be very intentional

24:23about building community, about reaching out to the folks we know, relatives, neighbors,

24:31coworkers, and reminding them that we're all in this together and that we can make sense

24:37of it if we try. And part of making sense of it is reminding everyone in an election

24:44year their power to determine very important issues through their vote. And so that means,

24:53you know, reminding people to register to vote, reminding people to go online. There's

24:59Iwillvote.org and to make sure you know where you're registered because sadly in so many

25:05states in our country right now they're intentionally passing laws to make it more difficult for

25:09people to vote. They're passing laws that allow, you know, for political reasons that

25:13they'll reduce the number of polling sites so that people won't know where to go vote

25:18or because there are reduced polling sites the lines will be longer which will deter

25:22people from standing in line, especially if they're working two and three jobs, they don't

25:25have the time. So let's remind people about the connection between their lives and their

25:32vote, between their power and the outcome of this election. Let's organize people building

25:40coalitions. You know, again, there are forces trying to divide us. We've got to remember

25:46in our hearts and help people remember the vast majority of us have so much more in common

25:52than what separates us. We've got to remember that, right?

26:00I think that's critically important. You know, sometimes these kinds of moments have a tendency

26:08if not an intention to make people feel small and make them feel alone and disempower people.

26:14I was saying to we had a brief conversation earlier, you know, I think it's there's this

26:21perversity that has taken place over the last several years to suggest the measure of the

26:26strength of a leader is based on who you beat down. When in fact the true measure of

26:32the strength of a leader, I think we all agree, is based on who you lift up, right?

26:43That the character, the character and the strength therefore of a real leader, I'm looking

26:50at a room full of leaders. You wouldn't be here if you weren't. The character is such

26:56that that individual has some level of concern and care about the well-being of other people

27:02and then does something about it to lift them up. So let's remind people of all of that

27:08and let's organize and let's energize and let's mobilize. I mean literally call up and

27:14text and email folks you know and just bug them. Just bug them. It's okay. It's election

27:20time. They'll expect it coming from you. They'll still invite you over for Thanksgiving and

27:30Christmas. It's okay. But let's just stay on people and in that way let them know that

27:38they matter and that we're all in it together.

27:41So well speaking of elevating people as we come to the close of the program though, I

27:48think what you're doing is incredible. I think this is exactly the way forward. I think extending

27:53the grace that you have to have Amanda and I on stage as two Republicans or recovering

28:00Republicans as I said earlier, I think this is an example of how we come together and

28:07how we build this coalition. Like you said, I think it's about empowering each other and

28:13I also think it's a sign of that women are going to support women. We're going to stand

28:19by other women. So I hope that that's a message that carries forward and thank you for providing

28:27that avenue for us to come together. I do think that this is a big moment in time for

28:38our political system and what's at stake and so I hope that this serves as an example for

28:43others to have these types of conversations with each other and to extend that grace and

28:48understand that we're going to stand by each other. They don't get to win when we're together.

28:58And with that, thank you all.

JUST IN: Vice President Kamala Harris Delivers Remarks At Campaign Event In Kalamazoo, Michigan

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