Sen. Kamala Harris grilled Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on her views about a woman’s right to obtain a legal abortion.
Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, began her inquiry on the second day of confirmation hearings by alluding to Barrett’s recent praise for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who she said opened the door for many women in the legal industry.
“One of the things [Ginsburg] fought for was a woman’s right to control her own body and to make decisions about her own body and healthcare and reproductive choices,” Harris said. “The Constitution of the United States protects a woman’s right to choose whether or when to become a parent, and it protects a woman’s right to choose abortion.”
Harris pointed to several advertisements Barrett had signed in the past expressing her anti-abortion sentiments.
She also pointed to President Trump’s campaign promise to appoint judges who are opposed to abortion rights.
“As the Senate considers filling the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was straightforward enough in her confirmation hearing to say that the right to choose is ‘essential to women’s equality,’ I would suggest that we not pretend that we don’t know how this nominee views a woman’s right to choose, to make her own healthcare decisions,” Harris said.
The California Democrat then submitted letters opposing Barrett’s nomination from branches of the Planned Parenthood organization and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Barrett will continue to be questioned by Republican and Democratic lawmakers this week on her judicial philosophy.
