NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WWLP) – Vice President Kamala Harris was in Connecticut Wednesday to talk about abortion rights at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June overturning Roe v. Wade.
While abortion rights are protected in Connecticut and Massachusetts, the warning is that it might not always be that way. The Vice President Motorcade arrived at Central Connecticut State University, and standing on the sidewalk watching was voters on both sides of the debate.
“As a woman, just women’s right is probably the most prevalent to me when I consider a candidate,” said Isabella Lago.
“We’ve made a bad decision with Roe vs Wade, we corrected it and now it’s up to the states to speak up and stand up for life,” said Pastor Ollie Gray II from the Living Faith Christianity Church in Waterbury, Connecticut.
The Vice President visited an area where there’s a tight congressional race between U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes and Republican candidate George Logan.
“And please send her back to Congress,” said Vice President Harris.
Inside, the Vice President spoke alongside Representative Hayes and the CEO and President of Planned Parenthood, Alexis McGill Johnson. Making an appeal to protect abortion access through federal legislation, which is unlikely to pass before the midterm election.
“What it would mean is these states that are criminalizing health care providers, doctors, nurses, other health care providers… could not do it. They would have to stop,” said Harris.
Harris saying while this is a fight that’s decades old, it falls on current leaders to regain what was lost, “Do what is necessary to reaffirm, to regain and fight for those rights.”
This is also not the first White House visit to the university, former president Obama visited Central Connecticut State University in 2014.