ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the greater Philadelphia region Monday to speak at the NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City and also meet with New Jersey lawmakers to discuss reproductive rights.
Harris spoke for about 30 minutes on the fifth day of the NAACP’s 113th convention.
“This organization has fought to secure, for all people, the rights guaranteed in our nation’s Constitution, driven by the ability to see America as it can be,” she said.
Harris, a lifelong member of the NAACP, called out extremists in government that she said "seek to undermine our democracy." She spoke of the need for fair housing and how segregation, restrictive covenants, redlining, and unfair appraisals cripple homeownership.
“Homeownership is one of the main sources in the community of inter-generational wealth.
She says the racial disparities need to end “so that Black and Latino families can fully realize the true value of their homes, and pass that value to their children and grandchildren.”
She also raised concerns about maternal health.
“Today in America, Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes,” she said. “Native American women are more than twice as likely to die. So we have elevated, for an obvious reason, the issue of maternal health. It will be a national priority and building on the work that we have all done together over the years.”
Watch a livestream of her keynote here.
Following her remarks, Harris met with elected officials from the Garden State at the Atlantic City Convention Center for a roundtable discussion.
This is a continuation of the vice president’s efforts — traveling around the country and talking to local lawmakers about life after Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court voted 6-3 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the Constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion.
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Harris was in Philadelphia two days ago, where she spoke with elected officials and health care providers on the subject.
“We are not asking anyone to compromise their beliefs or abandon their faith,” she said Saturday. “We are simply saying the government should not be in the position, nor should the government have the power, to replace its beliefs for those of the woman.
“States and so-called leaders are passing laws that would criminalize medical health professionals. We are talking about several states in our nation who will not allow an exception for rape or incest.”
Abortion rights are protected, by law, in New Jersey and Delaware. The procedure is currently legal in Pennsylvania as well. However, Republicans in the Pennsylvania House and Senate passed a constitutional amendment bill that would put abortion rights on the ballot in a future election.
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The bill would add language to the Pennsylvania Constitution stating there was no guarantee of any rights relating to abortion. It would have to pass the next session of the Legislature and be publicly advertised before voters would ultimately decide its fate at the ballot box.