On Thursday, March 14th 2024, the US Vice-President, Kamala Harris, visited the Planned Parenthood Clinic in Minnesota.
Planned Parenthood clinics offer a range of health services, which include birth control, pregnancy testing, mental health, HIV, and abortion services.
Abortion is a major bone of contention among Americans, with more members of the Republican Party opposed to it.
During Presidential campaigns, the issue of legal abortion is almost always among the top factors influencing the US voting patterns.
Kamala Harris Visits a Planned Parenthood Clinic
It was, therefore, seen as a bold move when Kamala Harris personally paid a visit to the Planned Parenthood health facility in Minnesota.
The visit, by such a senior political figure, was the first in history. Neither a president, nor a vice-president has made such a visit before while in office.
Harris has always made her stand on abortion rights known. She has publicly declared that depriving an individual the right to determine what is best for her body is both outrageous and immoral.
The Vice-President is among the 80% of Democrats and pro-Democrat independents, who support the provision of legal abortion services. They also advocate the right to in-vitro fertilization, and birth control in general.
The Republican Opposition to Contraception May Cost them Votes
60% of the GOP voters are opposed to legal abortion, and this is understandable considering the GOP is fundamentally conservative.
However, many Republicans want Americans to be able to enjoy the right to contraception. During a recent survey by the New York Times, most of the Republican voters interviewed confirmed this.
They were horrified to learn that 195 Republican House representatives – almost 90% of the GOP members – had cast their votes against the contraception rights’ bill.
Many of the New York Times survey subjects indicated that the contraception issue could make them vote with the Democrats.
It remains to be seen if Kamala Harris’ bold visit to the Planned Parenthood Clinic is going to influence voters, especially the Independents, in the 2024 election.
Harris’ continued advocacy for women rights could influence some Republican women to vote Democratic.