INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana could soon become the next Republican-led state to ban or restrict abortions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month.
On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris met with Democratic leaders, urging them to block legislation that could come during a special session of the Indiana General Assembly.
"The government should not telling an individual what to do especially as it relates to one of the most intimate and personal decisions a woman should make," Harris said.
Republicans hold a 71-29 advantage in the House and a 39-11 majority in the Senate. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said last month that the state would move toward restricting abortions.
“I have been clear in stating I am pro-life. We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that’s exactly what we will do,” he said on the same day the Supreme Court ruled that states have the ability to regulate abortions.
If the new law passes, Indiana abortion laws will become one of the harshest in America.
"Understand that it could have a profound impact on just about everyone in our country," she said.
The VP says other states are watching. At Monday's round table, she listened to the lawmaker's concerns.
"Indiana's infant mortality rate is the 7th highest in the nation. Lack of abortion access in the state with an already abysmal maternity care system will kill women," said Senator Jean Breaux.
Vice President Kamala Harris says all eyes are on Indiana right now as the state becomes the first since the overturn of Roe V. Wade to hold a special session.
"This has created a healthcare crisis in America and Indiana has already been on the forefront of this very issue," she said.
The VP says birth control could also be at risk. She says the White House is doing everything it can to protect the reproductive rights of Hoosiers, and Americans.
Since the June 24 ruling, Harris has hosted six roundtable discussions with Democratic state legislators across the US.
“I'm here to support legislators here and support folks doing work on the ground in terms of service providers,” Harris said. “To let them know we stand with women of Indiana. We trust women of Indiana to make decisions about their own lives without requiring their government to tell them what to do with their bodies.”
