One of Kamala Harris’ top Republican surrogates, “pro-life” former Rep. Liz Cheney, has jumped on board with the Democratic presidential candidate’s plan to expand abortion rights.
“I think there are many of us around the country who have been pro-life, but who have watched what’s going on in our states since the Dobbs decision, and have watched state legislatures put in place laws that are resulting in women not getting the care they need,” Cheney said during a moderated conversation with Harris in Malvern, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
Harris had just finished saying that even people who were supportive of overturning Roe v. Wade did not anticipate the harm that would follow. Cheney, a longtime conservative, wanted to chime in.
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“This is not an issue that we’re seeing break down across party lines,” the one-time House Republican Conference chair said, adding that in places like Texas, where top law-enforcement officials are threatening to sue to gain access to women’s medical records, the situation is “not sustainable for us as a country. And it has to change.”
Reproductive freedom was a winning issue for Democrats in the midterm elections following the Supreme Court’s decision. And it’s a top issue in 2024 as women begin to feel the harsh consequences of state-level restrictions.
The preventable death of Amber Thurman, a Georgia woman who died because she was unable to get abortion care in time to save her life, has become a focus for Harris this fall. Her campaign even made an ad about it.
Cheney’s reversal on the issue of abortion is remarkable. Just over two years ago, she celebrated the end of Roe v. Wade.
If Congress passes a bill to reinstate the abortion rights protections under Roe, Harris has pledged to sign it. On the campaign trail, she frequently says that even Americans who are deeply religious can agree that the government should not be involved. Her comments on ensuring reproductive freedom got some of the loudest applause at the Monday event.
Cheney, whose father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, has also endorsed Harris, is holding a series of suburban town halls with her in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin on Monday in a bid to win over Republicans.
“We’re going to reject the misogyny that we’ve seen from Donald Trump and JD Vance,” Cheney said in Pennsylvania, earning cheers.
Cheney’s involvement seemed to be getting under Trump’s skin. On Monday, he slammed her in a TruthSocial post, referring to her as a “war hawk” and pointing out how she lost her seat in the 2022 primary by nearly 40 points.
