WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President Kamala Harris has voiced her opinion on House Bill 5, the Florida statute that would ban all abortions at the 15-week mark.
Her statement, in full:
Last night, the Florida Senate passed House Bill 5, which effectively bans access to abortions after 15 weeks. This bill is extreme by any standard.
The right of women to make decisions about their own bodies is non-negotiable. If signed into law, Florida’s bill would violate the constitutional right to abortion that the Supreme Court has recognized for nearly 50 years. It will block access to crucial reproductive health care for Floridians, with a particular impact on low-income communities, communities of color, and rural communities.
Unconstitutional abortion bans and other bills that will dramatically reduce access to reproductive care are pending in state legislatures across the country. These efforts only strengthen our resolve: The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to do everything in our power to protect access to healthcare and defend a woman’s right to make decisions about her body and determine her future.
The measure has caused bitter debate as it passed through the GOP-controlled legislature, as Republicans repeatedly rejected attempts from Democrats to add exemptions for pregnancies caused by rape, incest or human trafficking.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously signaled his support for the proposal.
"This is a late-term," Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday during a news conference in Jacksonville. "These are protections for babies that have heartbeats, that can feel pain. And this is very, very late."
The governor said he would sign the bill "in short order."
