Kamala Harris supports eliminating filibuster to reinstate abortion rights from Roe v. Wade

Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday expressed her support to eliminate the filibuster to reinstate abortion protections that were under Roe v. Wade if she’s elected president – and if Democrats’ win control of Congress.

"I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe,” Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said during an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio. “And get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back into law, the protections for reproductive freedom.”

Democrats’ face an uphill battle to win back control of the House of Representatives, maintain their power in the Senate and win the presidency. The Democrats' biggest challenge in particular is the Senate, which will likely come down to three highly competitive races.

Harris in her interview said she believes that Democrats are well within the reach to hold the Senate and to take back the House.

There also are a few key lawmakers on Capitol Hill who oppose getting rid of the filibuster, including Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Az., who are both retiring.

Manchin said Tuesday he will not support Harris after she said it should be eliminated. He had not previously endorsed her.

“Shame on her,” Manchin told CNN. “She knows the filibuster is the Holy Grail of democracy. It's the only thing that keeps us talking and working together. If she gets rid of that, then this would be the House on steroids."

Abortion and reproductive rights have become a key part of Harris’ campaign messaging as her and opponent former President Donald Trump are locked in a tight race for the presidency.

Last week, Harris called on restoring abortion rights to Georgia following a ProPublica report that Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old pregnant woman, died in the state after doctors struggled to grapple with new restrictions on abortion. The Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, which ended a constitutional right to an abortion.

Harris visited Wisconsin last week after her stop in Georgia – both two battleground states that will help decide the election – where she highlighted abortion rights.

Contributing: Erin Mansfield, Riley Beggin and Joey Garrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harris supports eliminating filibuster to reinstate Roe v. Wade