VP Kamala Harris Wows a Packed Crowd at Phoenix Event, Declaring “We Will Win”

On the second anniversary of the Dobbs Decision overturning Roe v Wade, Vice President Kamala Harris wowed a packed crowd at a question-and-answer event at the Warehouse 215 location on Grant Street in Phoenix earlier this afternoon, declaring, “We will win” the 2024 Presidential Elections in November.

Before the Vice President spoke, Mesa Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia, Marine Gunnery Sergeant and former Legislative District Candidate JoAnna Mendoza, State Representative Analise Ortiz, and California Senator Laphonza Butler all passionately discussed the need to protect reproductive freedom in Arizona and across the country.

The Vice President was introduced by Arizona Corporation Commissioner and cancer survivor Anna Tovar, along with actress and activist Francia Raisa.

A common theme expressed by speakers is that Donald Trump’s handpicked Supreme Court picks have created a legal system where their daughters and granddaughters have less reproductive freedom and healthcare rights now than they did.

During her remarks, Vice President Harris delivered energetic, inspiring, and passionate comments on the need to preserve and protect reproductive freedom, which received much applause.

She also discussed immigration, the need to stay engaged in the political process, the importance of voting, and the fragility of Democracy.

Excerpts of her most notable remarks are below:

On Reproductive Freedom

“This is a moment that requires us to be as active as you are being. None of us can afford to passively sit by and watch this happen to the people of America. To the women of America.”

“Two years ago today, the highest court in our land took a Constitutional right that had been recognized by the people of America. From the women of America and thereafter in state after state, laws have been proposed and passed that criminalize healthcare providers. In Texas, they provide prison for life for a doctor or a nurse who provides Health Care. Laws that punish women. Laws that make no exception, even for rape or incest.

“The idea that these so-called leaders would say to a survivor of a crime of violence to their body. A survivor of a violation of their body. That survivor has no right or authority to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That’s immoral, and that’s what’s happening in our country. Women going through miscarriages. They’re going to an emergency room for care. Being denied care because the people at the hospital are afraid they’ll be criminalized for providing care. Women who do not develop sepsis are receiving care. Emergency Care.”

“And I think most Americans in my travels agree that one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling her what to do with her body.”

“We trust women to know what is in their own best interests.”

“40 percent of Latinas in reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban… The majority of black women in the South? Every state in the South except for Virginia has an abortion ban.”

“Understand that the majority of women who seek and receive abortion care are mothers,” she said. “What this is meaning for real people every day. And so that’s why we fight. And that’s why we stand together and say we’re not having this. We’re not having this. It’s not okay. It’s not okay.”

Trump is to blame

“Who is it to blame? Well, we know. The former president Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v Wade, and they did as he intended… Donald Trump says he is proudly responsible for what he’s done. Proudly responsible that our daughter has fewer rights than my mother-in-law. Proudly responsible that doctors can be imprisoned. Proudly responsible that access to in vitro fertilization is now at risk. Access to contraception is now at risk.”

“And so let’s understand the connection between this issue and elections because Joe Biden has been very clear when Congress puts back in place the protections of Roe v Wade, he will sign it into law.”

“There is a movement afoot, and we are all part of that movement. You know, the people who were the leaders of this movement got Roe to be the law of the land for 50 years. They have passed the baton to us. And the question is now, while we are carrying the baton, what are we doing with it? And I know we are taking our role and responsibility seriously, and I notice what’s happening since two years ago when this decision came down from Kansas to California, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin. In Montana. In so-called red and blue States. When Freedom was on the ballot, the American people voted for Freedom…Momentum is on our side. We as Americans feel very strongly about our freedoms.”

“Just think about it this way. Think about the notion and the fact. The right to make decisions about your own body is now being made by the government. If they can go for that the most fundamental of rights. What’s next? And check out that Dobbs decision that came down two years ago because Clarence Thomas said the quiet part out loud. Contraception. Same-sex marriage. What other rights could be at stake?”

Immigration reform

Commissioner Tovar introduced the Vice President to Maria Leon, a DACA recipient, nursing student, and mother. She thanked the Vice President for the recent Executive Order, signed by President Biden, that has given her “a path to a Visa and citizenship” and asked why the President and Vice President “took this action.”

The Vice President first congratulated Ms. Leon on her achievements and for choosing a profession dedicated to healing.

After explaining the components of the Executive Order, Ms. Harris commented “Joe Biden and I believe very strongly we should keep families together, unlike the previous president who was into separating families.”

She then said “We’ve got to fix this system” and reminded the audience that Republicans have twice rebuffed attempts at immigration reform during this Administration.

First, they did not take up comprehensive reform (with security and pathway to citizenship components) when the Biden/Harris proposed immigration legislation “right after the inauguration “with the “first bill that we offered.”

• The second time Republicans repelled immigration reform, specifically, border security improvements, as Harris reminded the audience, was months ago when after a bipartisan agreement had been secured, Donald Trump told his MAGA colleagues to not “take it up because you see, he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing it.”

Eat “no” for breakfast

Vice President Harris then discussed the necessity for people to stay engaged in the political process, stating:

“I think it’s really important for each of us to understand our power and not allow the circumstances of the situation to silence us or make us feel like we’re alone…Hold on to this image in your heart and in your mind. You’re not alone, especially for those of us who are advocating for the rights of women. We have to remember that we are strong and there is a community of people. A big community. A diverse community of people that stand behind the notion that nobody should be treated less than equal.”

“I’ll speak from personal experience. I think many of us have this experience, but I’ll say this in particular to the young leaders here. There are going to be many times in your life when you’re going to be told that can’t be done. It’s never been done before. It’s not time. They’re not ready for it. And this is the one I love. It’s going to be a lot of hard work. I eat “no” for breakfast.”

“You are not alone, and we expect that at that moment, you will have your chin up and shoulders back and use your voice, knowing you represent all of us when you are in that situation.”

“We are Going to Win. “We are going to win…It won’t be easy, but we are going to win.”

Harris also enthusiastically endorsed Democratic Senate Candidate Ruben Gallego, saying, “He is going to win, and you are going to make it so.”

Why Voting in this Election is Important.

After thanking everyone for their hard work in Arizona, Vice President Harris reminded the audience that “we have 134 days to go” until Election Day.

She said, “One of the most important things that we can do is to make sure everyone is registered to vote and that they do vote. Let’s start by checking on your own voter status to make sure they have not moved your polls. To make sure that you know where you can vote, go to iwillvote.com. It’s also available in Spanish. Encourage your neighbors and friends to do the same. Let’s get everyone registered to vote.”

On the importance of this election, she said:

“This election is going to determine the trajectory of our country for generations. You know, many of us have worked on these elections every four years, and we say this is the one. This here is the one. This is the one.”

“When we have such fundamental freedoms that are being attacked in our country, this is a moment where none of us can sit this out. None of us can say oh, we’ll pick it back up the next time.”

“We’ve got these extremists in our country passing laws. In the state of Georgia for example, they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote. The hypocrisy abounds. What happened to Love Thy Neighbor. Laws that in the State of Florida. Don’t say gay, where some young teacher who is doing God’s work teaching other people’s children is afraid to put up a picture of themselves with their partner because they might get fired. God knows we don’t pay them enough as it is…The fact that we don’t have Universal background checks (for gun purchases.)

“I’ll close with this point. As Vice President, I have now met over 150 world leaders. Presidents, Prime Ministers, chancellors, and kings, many of them multiple times. Almost once, world leaders came up to me and said, “Hope you guys are going to be okay because they know what this election means for their countries.”

The Fragility of American Democracy and Freedom.

“So our work right now is absolutely directly going to affect the people of Arizona. The people of our country but we’ll have an impact on people around the world. That’s what’s in our hands right now. And you know democracy… I think that the nature of democracy is that there are two sides to it.

On the one hand Incredible strength. When a Democracy is intact. What it does to protect and defend the freedoms and liberties of its people. Incredible strength in what it can give its people. And it is very fragile. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it. And so fight we will, and when we fight, we win.

After the event, Arizona Legislative District (LD) 21 State Representative Consuelo Hernandez offered her insights into the Vice President event and the second anniversary of the Dobbs Decision, commenting:

“Two years ago today, we received catastrophic news where Trump’s Supreme Court stripped away our rights as women by overturning Roe. I’m grateful to Vice President (VP) Harris for visiting us in Arizona again. This event was a great opportunity to bring the Latino community and other Statewide leaders together to be able to give us the extra energy that we need to make it through November to fight and deliver for Biden Harris. As VP Harris mentioned it is crucial we elect people like Ruben Gallego, people like Presiden Biden himself, and Democrats up and down the ballot because all of our rights, not just our reproductive rights are on the line, I’m really looking forward to helping do as much as possible down in Southern Arizona and bring others with me.”