GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Vice President Kamala Harris touched down in Kent County Monday, stopping to Grand Rapids to continue a nationwide tour on the issue of abortion.
It's part of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, which aims to highlight how states like Michigan have passed legislation enshrining abortion access despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
"In states across our country, people have been suffering, and we must be explicit about what that is," Harris said on Thursday.
In Michigan, voters approved a 2022 proposal known as Proposal 3 that added Roe-style abortion rights to the state's constitution.
While the nationwide right has been repealed, Harris and the Biden administration have supported restoration of Roe-style abortion protections nationwide.
"Freedom is fundamental to the promise of America," Harris said. "And what we saw over a year ago was the highest court in our land, the United States Supreme Court - the court of Thurgood [Marshall] and [Ruth Bader Ginsburg] - took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of America, from the women of America."
Flanked by local leaders - including Governor Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Michigan) and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Harris spoke to what some believe to be the prospect of a nationwide abortion ban that would nullify Michigan's state constitutional protections should former President Donald Trump return to the office.
"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land," Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution reads, "and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."
Some archaic language aside, what this means is that, should a federal ban be implemented, Article VI, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution - commonly referred to as the Supremacy Clause - would likely demand that it take precedence over any state laws or constitutions protecting abortion rights.
Others in West Michigan have said they'd welcome such a ban, having seen the fall of Roe as a victory.
"We would love to see a federal ban on abortion, that would be amazing," Grand Rapids Right to Life President Laura Alexandria told 13 ON YOUR SIDE last month. "Is that probably going to happen soon? I would doubt it. So, we want to continue fighting in our communities, and we will try our best to establish laws that do protect women, in addition to, as I've said before, showing women that there are other options."
While reproductive rights were the focus for the Vice President on Thursday, her trip also came under a cloud of electoral uncertainty for the administration.
The latest statewide poll out on Wednesday from EPIC-MRA showed former President Donald Trump with an edge over President Biden in Michigan.
It also comes as some, particularly many Arab American voters in the state, have expressed anger over the administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war and what they see as too much support for the military actions of the Israeli government.
"There is a whole swath of us people who are looking at the president and his handling of the situation in Gaza and thinking, 'This is not the way,'" Democratic strategist and Listen to Michigan spokesperson Abbas Alawieh told 13 ON YOUR SIDE earlier this week.
But the large percentage of undecided voters in Wednesday's poll - totaling 14% - suggests, should Biden and Trump be the nominees, the state is still very much in play.
It's why candidates of all stripes have descended on Michigan in recent weeks and in the days ahead.
Former Republican South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is expected to rally supporters in Grand Rapids Monday, and former President Trump has already made multiple visits to the state's east side to shore up his Republican support.
But on Thursday, the Vice President focused solely on abortion, saying the stakes, including in Michigan, are too high not to prioritize that fight.
"Let's understand the connection between all of these issues and the responsibility and the role that we each have to protect these fundamental freedoms and the people of America to be able to make decisions about their own lives and the future of their family," Harris said.
Michigan's first election of 2024 is set to be held on Feb. 27, when voters will choose who they'd like to be the Republican and Democratic nominees for president in November.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.