FFRF Action Fund’s “Secularist of the Week” is presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, who recently pledged not to include “religious exemptions” in a national abortion law that would reinstate abortion rights across the nation.
In an NBC News interview last week, Harris spoke with reporter Hallie Jackson about the pressing issues that have dictated this tumultuous election cycle, including abortion. Jackson asked the presidential candidate about her plan to sign a federal law to reinstate the protections American women had under Roe v. Wade and what concessions, if any, she would be “willing to make in order to get something done on abortion access as soon as possible.”
Harris first responded by denouncing the total abortion bans that were enacted in states across the nation after Trump created a conservative supermajority in the U.S. Supreme Court and laid the groundwork for the Dobbs decision.
Jackson then returned to concessions, specifically asking Harris if she would consider including religious exemptions in a national abortion law to garner Republican votes. Harris replied, “I don’t think we should be making concessions when we are talking about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body.”
Instead, Harris pointed to the Republicans who will have to concede to the wishes of their constituents, saying, “I know that there are members of the United States Congress who are well aware that their constituents are in favor of the very fundamental principle that a woman should be able to make decisions about her own body.”
When pushed again about making concessions while working with a potentially Republican-led Congress, Harris stood strong. “I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals. Let’s start with the fundamental fact. A basic freedom has been taken from the women of America,” Harris replied. “That cannot be negotiable.”
Harris also pointed to the various pro-abortion ballot initiatives that have succeeded in the past two years. In fact, seven out of seven ballot measures protecting abortion rights have prevailed since Roe was overturned. As many as 10 states will have abortion referenda on their ballots this Election Day.
Harris has made restoring the protections women had under Roe v. Wade a cornerstone of her campaign. She recently called for an end to the Senate filibuster to restore abortion rights. In 2019, as a U.S. senator, she co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation to codify the rights under Roe nationwide, and she openly opposed the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for abortion care.
Harris has long shown a commitment to secular values and social justice. A New York Times profile described her as embodying “the multifaith, pluralistic and increasingly secular America she is bidding to lead.” She has continually pledged to defeat Donald Trump and his extremist Project 2025, which contains countless schemes to erode the separation of state and church.
Harris has also always protected the First Amendment throughout her career. While California attorney general, she filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the justices to refuse Hobby Lobby’s request to deny female employees health care coverage for contraception because of religious beliefs. Harris is a steadfast supporter of LGBTQ-plus rights, climate change action and the preservation of democracy, and when elected, she will continue to fight for secular governance.
We thank Harris for her commitment to reproductive freedom and not conceding to the wishes of the religious right. As this crucial election approaches, nonreligious voters have a decision to make, and the choice is clear. Harris embodies the values and aspirations that are needed to preserve the separation of state and church and the secular governance of the United States. She is a stellar “secularist” honoree.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.