Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show on Tuesday and stressed the importance of how the results of this year’s presidential election will determine the makeup and direction of the Supreme Court.
“[Donald Trump] hand selected three members of the United States Supreme Court to do exactly what they did: Take away the right of an individual to make decisions about their own body,” Harris said.
Three of the Supreme Court justices selected by Trump and approved by the Republican majority in the Senate voted with the 6-3 majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, thereby overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. The other three justices in the majority were also appointed by Republican presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The justices who voted to uphold abortion rights were appointed by Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Harris noted to Stern that the court’s decision runs contrary to American tradition, when “the expansion of rights” has usually been the natural course of things.
“For the first time, we’re seeing a restriction of rights—fundamental rights,” Harris added.
Referencing Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion in Dobbs, Harris explained to Stern that conservatives on the court have expressed interest in rescinding the right to same-sex marriage.
“Who doesn’t have gay people in their life?” Stern asked, referencing the widespread impact such an extreme position would have.
Harris warned Stern and his listeners that experts have said that the next president may need to select nominees for as many as two Supreme Court vacancies during their time in office.
“That means—think about it—not for the next four years, for the next 40 years, for the next four generations of your family, what might be a Supreme Court that is about restricting your rights, versus expanding your rights,” Harris concluded.
Harris also criticized the court for its controversial ruling granting immunity to Trump for criminal acts, and referenced his promises to be a “dictator” if he is elected to another term.
When serving in the Senate, Harris voted against all three of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees—Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh.
In her recent appearance on the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy,” which is part of the blitz of interviews Harris has been on in recent days (she also appeared on “The View,” “The Late Show,” and “60 Minutes”), the candidate joked about her 2018 questioning of Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. In that exchange, Kavanaugh was unable to mention any laws that specifically regulate medical procedures associated with the male body.
The Supreme Court is unpopular under the current conservative majority. A July poll from Gallup found that 52% of Americans disapprove of the court, amid the fallout of its abortion ruling and the revelation that Thomas accepted undisclosed gifts from a right-wing billionaire.
As a part of President Joe Biden’s administration, Harris helped shepherd the successful nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to ever serve on the court.
In a statement to reporters on the day of Jackson’s confirmation, Harris said, “It's an extraordinary day, and I think it's a very important statement today about who we are as a nation.”
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
