Harris Supports Ending Senate Filibuster to Restore National Abortion Rights, Reports Reuters

Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming presidential election, announced on Tuesday her support for eliminating a procedural requirement that mandates a supermajority in the Senate to pass legislation aimed at securing national abortion rights.

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, approximately a dozen U.S. states have enacted laws that either ban or significantly restrict access to abortion, making it a pivotal issue in the 2024 election. Harris is advocating for Congress to enact a national law that ensures access to safe abortion services.

Currently, a minimum of 60 senators must approve most legislation in the Senate. In a recent interview, Harris expressed her desire to change this requirement to a simple majority. She stated, “We should eliminate the filibuster for Roe… to actually restore in law the protections for reproductive freedom and for the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body.”

In 2013, Democrats eliminated the filibuster for judicial nominees, and Republicans extended this change in 2017 to encompass Supreme Court nominees as well.

While some Democrats are pushing to abolish the 60-vote requirement altogether, this proposal has faced resistance from moderate senators such as Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who will not be returning to the Senate next year.