Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, prompting strong reactions from leading pro-life organizations who label the pair as the "most pro-abortion Democratic ticket yet."
Harris has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate, a decision that has sparked significant backlash from prominent pro-life groups, according to Breitbart.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser described the Harris-Walz duo as the "most pro-abortion presidential ticket America has ever seen," emphasizing their unified stance on the issue.
Dannenfelser highlighted Walz's January 2023 legislation, which she termed the nation's most extreme pro-abortion law. The law, known as the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act, established abortion as a "fundamental right" throughout pregnancy without any restrictions.
The legislation positioned Minnesota as the first state to codify abortion rights after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, which relegated the decision-making power on abortion to individual states.
The PRO Act not only enshrines the right to abortion but also includes provisions for birth control, family planning, and sterilization. Prior to this act, abortion was legal in Minnesota up through the second trimester. The bill's author, Democrat state Sen. Jennifer McEwen, stated that the act ensures abortion access irrespective of future court decisions.
The bill's passage drew criticism from various quarters. Republican state Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson condemned it as "the most extreme" in the nation concerning youth sterilization, late-term abortions, and new reproductive rights.
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life labeled the law as "extreme, inhumane, and harmful to women and children," asserting that it permits abortion up to birth without parental consent for minors undergoing the procedure.
MCCL Co-Executive Director Cathy Blaeser said, "The PRO Act means a right to abort any baby for any reason at any time up to birth. It legalizes the elective killing of a human being in utero even in the third trimester, when the child can feel pain and could survive outside the womb."
Blaeser further criticized the lack of safeguards in the law, such as requiring third-trimester abortions to occur in hospitals or mandating state-licensed facilities for performing abortions. She expressed concern that the legislation opens the door for notorious late-term abortion providers to operate in Minnesota without sufficient regulation.
Dannenfelser also pointed out that Walz signed additional legislation expanding taxpayer-funded abortions, weakening informed consent protections, and diminishing safeguards for babies born alive after failed abortion attempts.
She argued that "with Harris and Walz as standard-bearers, the Democratic Party has become the 'shout your abortion' party, with no limits for any reason even in the seventh, eighth or ninth month," she said. "In contrast to [former] President [Donald] Trump, [vice president nominee] J.D. Vance, and the GOP, who support the right of the people to set limits on abortion and provide real options for mothers in need, Democrats have made it clear nothing — not the checks and balances built into our government, not the humanity of unborn children and not the true needs of women — will stop them from imposing all-trimester abortion nationwide."
Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins also criticized Harris' choice, claiming that Walz's policies reflect an extreme "no limitations" pro-abortion agenda.
"Not to mention, in 2020, Walz let Minneapolis burn, so of course he'll let preborn babies be dismembered, burned, and delivered dead," she added.