Transcript for Harris and Pence address Roe v. Wade, SCOTUS nomination
Go right ahead. I want to go ahead and move to the next topic, which is an important one, as the last topic was, and that is the supreme court. On Monday, the senate judiciary committee is scheduled to open hearings on Amy coney Barrett’s nomination to the supreme court. Senator Harris, you’ll be there as a member of the committee. Her confirmation would cement the court’s conservative majority and make it likely to more abortion restrictions, even to overturning the landmark roe V. Wade learning. Access to abortion would then be up to the states. Vice president pence, you’re the former governor of Indiana. If roe V. Wade is overturned, what would you want Indiana to do? Would you want your home state to ban all abortions? You have two minutes, uninterrupted. Well, thank you for the question, but I’ll use my time to respond to that very important issue before. The American people deserve to know, soleimani, the Iranian general, was responsible for the death of hundreds of American service members. When the opportunity came, we saw him headed to Baghdad to kill more Americans, president trump didn’t hesitate and soleimani is gone. But you deserve to know that Joe Biden and kamala Harris actually criticized the decision to take out soleimani. It is really inexplicable, but with regard to Joe Biden, it is explainable, because history records that Joe Biden actually opposed the raid against Osama bin laden. It’s absolutely essential that we have a commander in chief who will not hesitate to act to protect American lives and to protect American service members and that’s what you have in president Donald Trump. Now, with regard to the supreme court of the United States, let me say president trump and I could not be more enthusiastic about the opportunity to see judge Amy coney Barrett become justice Amy coney Barrett. She’s a brilliant woman and she will bring a lifetime of experience and a sizable American family, to the supreme court of the United States. And our hope is, in the hearing next week, unlike justice Kavanaugh received with treatment for you and others, that we hope she gets a fair hearing. And we particularly hope that we don’t see the kind of attacks on her Christian faith that we saw the Democrat chairman of the judiciary committee before, when judge Barrett was being confirmed for the court of appeals, expressed concern that the dogma of her faith lived loudly in her. Dick Durbin of Illinois said it was a concern. Senator, I know one of our judicial nominees, you actually attacked because they were a member of the catholic knights of Columbus, just because the knights of Columbus holds pro life views — Thank you, vice president pence. Your time is up. My hope is when the hearing takes place — Thank you, vice president pence. That judge Amy coney Barrett will be respected. Thank you, vice president pence. Senator Harris, you are the senator from and former attorney general of California. Let me ask you a parallel well. If roe V. Wade is overturned, what would you want California to do, would you want your home state to enact no restrictions on access to abortion? And you have two minutes, uninterrupted. Susan, thank you. First of all, Joe Biden and I are both people of faith. And it is insulting to suggest that we would knock anyone for their faith and, in fact, Joe, if elected, will be only the second practicing catholic as president of the United States. On the issue of this nomination, Joe and I are very clear, as are the majority of the American people. We are 27 days before the decision about who will be the next president of the united States. And, you know, before, when this conversation has come up, you know, it’s been about election year or election time — we’re literally in an election. Over 4 million people have voted. People are in the process of voting right now. And so Joe has been very clear, as the American people are, let the American people fill that seat in the white house and then we’ll fill that seat on the United States supreme court. And to your point, Susan, the issues before us couldn’t be more serious. There’s the issue of choice and I will always fight for a woman’s right to make a decision about her own body, it should be her decision and not that of Donald Trump and the vice president, Michael nce. But let’s look at what else is before the court. It’s the affordable care act. Literally in the midst of a public health pandemic, when over 210,000 people have died and 7 million people probably have what will be in the future considered a pre-existing condition because you contracted the virus, Donald Trump is in court right now trying to get rid of the affordable care act. And I said it before and it bears repeating, this means that there will be no more protection, if they win, for people with pre-existing conditions. This means that over 20 million people will lose your coverage. It means that if you are under the age of 26, you can’t stay on your parents coverage anymore. And here’s the thing. The contrast couldn’t be more clear. They’re trying to get rid of the affordable care act, Joe Biden is saying let’s expand coverage, let’s give you a choice of a public option or private coverage. Let’s bring down premiums, let’s lower medicare eligibility to 60. That’s true leadership. Thank you, senator Harris. You mentioned earlier, vice president pence, that the president was committed to maintaining protections for people with pre-existing conditions. But you do have this court case that you are supporting, your administration supporting, that would strike down the affordable the president says, president trump says that he’s going to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but he has not explained how he would do that. And that was one of the toughest nuts to crack when they were passing the affordable care act. So, tell us specifically, how would your administration protect Americans with pre-existing conditions to have access to affordable insurance, if the affordable care act is struck down? Well, thank you, Susan, but let me just say, addressing your very first question, I couldn’t be more proud to serve as vice president to a president who stands without apology for the sanctity of human life. I’m pro life, I don’t apologize for it. And this is another one of those cases where there’s such a dramatic contrast. Joe Biden and kamala Harris support taxpayer funding of abortion all the way up to the moment of birth. Late term abortion. They want to increase funding to planned parenthood of America. Now, for our part, I would never presume how judge Amy coney Barrett would rule on the supreme court of the united States, but we’ll continue to stand strong for the right to life. When you speak about the supreme court, though, I think the American people really deserve an answer, senator Harris. Are you and Joe Biden going to pack the court if judge Amy coney Barrett is confirmed? There have been 29 vacancies on the supreme court during presidential election years from George Washington to Barack Obama, presidents have nominated in all 29 cases. But your party is actually openly advocating adding seats to the supreme court, which has had nine seats for 150 years, if you don’t get your way. This is a classic case of, if you can’t win by the rules, you are going to change the rules. Now, you have refused to answer the question, Joe Biden has refused to answer if question. So, I think the American people would really like to know if judge Amy coney Barrett is confirmed to the supreme court of the United States, are you and Joe Biden, if somehow you win this election, going to pack the supreme court to get your way? I’m so glad we went through a little history lesson. Let’s do that a little more. In 1864 — I’d like you to answer the question. I’m speaking. I’m speaking, okay? In 1864, one of the, I think political heroes, certainly of the president, I assume of you, also, Mr. Vice president, is Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was up for re-election and it was 27 days before the election and a seat became open on the United States supreme court. Abraham Lincoln’s party was in charge, not only of the white house, but the senate. But honest Abe said, not the right thing to do. The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States and then that person can select who will serve for a lifetime on the highest court of our land. And so Joe and I are very clear. The American people are voting right now. And it should be their decision about who will serve on this most important body for a lifetime. Thank you, senator Harris. The people are voting right now. They would like to know if you and Joe Biden are going to pack the supreme court if you don’t get your way in this nomination. Let’s talk about packing. It’s a nonanswer. Joe Biden — I’m trying to answer you now. The American people deserve a straight answer. If you haven’t figured it out, they are going to pack the supreme court. If they somehow win this election. Mr. Vice president — People across this country, if you cherish our supreme court, the separation of powers, you need to reject the biden/harris ticket come November 3rd, re-elect president Donald Trump and we’ll stand by that separation of powers in a nine-seat supreme court. Let’s talk about packing the court then. Let’s talk about the fact — Please. I’m about to. So the trump/pence administration has been, because I sit on the senate judiciary committee, Susan, as you mentioned, and I witnessed the appointments for lifetime appointments to the federal courts, district courts, courts of appeal. People who are purely ideological, people who have been reviewed by legal professional organizations and found to have been not competent, substandard. And do you know that of the 50 people who president trump appointed to the court of appeals for lifetime appointments, not one is black? This is what they’ve been doing. You want to talk about packing a let’s have that discussion. Thank you, senator. Let’s go on and talk about the issue of racial justice. I just want the record to reflect she never answered the question. The American people — maybe the next debate, Joe Biden will answer the question, but I think the American people know the answer. Thank you, vice president.
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