Vice President Kamala Harris visits Des Moines to go over reproductive wellness care

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Des Moines Thursday to meet with regional leaders and abortion rights advocates to go over reproductive wellness care amid current state and federal actions that could limit access to abortion drugs.

Harris’ stop by came a day right after a federal judge in Texas heard arguments in a case that could take the drug mifepristone, made use of for health-related abortions, off the industry. The drug was authorized by the Meals and Drug Administration two decades ago.

Harris, who hosted the closed-door meeting at Grand View University, stated the case threatens the nation’s public wellness method as a complete and that the Biden administration is ready to take action if the case succeeds.

“We take this incredibly seriously,” she stated. “We are ready to do every little thing we can and will if the court guidelines in a way that is contrary to what we think is in the ideal interest of America’s public wellness.”

The plaintiffs in the case, a group of anti-abortion health-related groups and medical doctors, sued the FDA alleging that it improperly authorized the drug. It could have wide-ranging effects on access to abortion, as effectively as the FDA approval method if it succeeds.

Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, speaks at a meeting on reproductive wellness hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris at Grand View University.

Harris named the case a political move by these pushing an anti-abortion agenda.

“The basic challenge with that court case is our public wellness method as a complete,” she stated. “If politicians can commence applying the courts to overturn doctors’ choices, think about exactly where that could lead.”

Abortion in Iowa is legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

On the other hand, a case looking for to reinstate the so-named “fetal heartbeat” law of 2018, which would have banned abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy, is anticipated to go just before the state Supreme Court subsequent month.

Iowa Republicans have indicated they program to wait for a Supreme Court ruling just before enacting new abortion restrictions via legislation.

Meanwhile, pharmacy chain Walgreens announced this month that it would quit distributing mifepristone in 21 states — like Iowa — right after legal threats from the lawyer basic.

In her comments in Des Moines, Harris criticized the lawyer basic for attempting to limit access to the abortion pill. This involves Iowa Lawyer Basic Brenna Byrd, who took workplace in January.

“At the heart of these concerns is a basic query for our nation, and the principle on which we are founded says that every of us has the correct to liberty and freedom in its most simple manifestation,” Harris stated.