Biden-Harris HHS secretary avoids supporting any restrictions on late-term abortion.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra believes the vice president can handle those questions effectively, according to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Biden-Harris HHS secretary avoids supporting any restrictions on late-term abortion.
Biden-Harris HHS secretary avoids supporting any restrictions on late-term abortion.

Harris' secretary of Health and Human Services refused to say whether he would support any restrictions on late-term abortions, even with exceptions, and deferred to Biden.

On Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Planet Chronicle Digital asked HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra if he would support any restrictions on late-term abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

"The vice president may answer those questions really well, the president thinks," he said.

Xavier Becerra, Kamala Harris
HHS Secretary Becerra deferred to Kamala Harris on whether he would support any limit on abortion, with exceptions. (Getty Images)

He stated that he couldn't respond to Health and Human Services inquiries because he wasn't the secretary.

Democrats have prioritized abortion as a key issue for the 2024 elections, prompting Republicans to counter with criticism over their stance on limiting abortion, particularly with regards to exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother's life.

A taco truck, portable toilets and an abortion van parked beside a buiding
A Planned Parenthood mobile van offers free vasectomies and medicinal abortions alongside a taco truck, and an inflatable IUD by the group Americans for Contraception Education Fund on display near the DNC, in Chicago, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Planet Chronicle Digital)

Democrats have not effectively countered allegations that they advocate for unrestricted abortion throughout the entire pregnancy, even with exceptions. When pressed, party representatives have proposed that the procedure is rarely performed in the third trimester, implying that limitations may not be necessary.

Planet Chronicle Digital asked the Harris campaign if she supports any abortion restrictions, including those lasting nine months, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother's life, but the campaign did not respond before publication.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at American Federation of Teachers' 88th National Convention
Harris and Democrats have made abortion a focal point of the 2024 campaign. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

During his CNN debate with former President Trump prior to Harris' candidacy, Biden evaded answering a question about whether he supported any restrictions on abortion.

Trump criticized Biden and Democrats for their stance on abortion, particularly the practice of taking a baby's life after birth in some Democrat-run states. He asked, "So that means he can take the life of the baby in the ninth month and even after birth?" He also pointed out that the former governor of Virginia had said, "put the baby down, then we decide what to do with it." Trump emphasized that this position was unacceptable and that nobody wanted such a thing to happen, regardless of their political affiliation.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra
Becerra is secretary of Health and Human Services. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Biden countered, asserting, "That's a lie! We don't support late-term abortions, absolutely," without specifying a particular cutoff point.

Democrats have mostly refrained from advocating for specific restrictions, instead focusing on their argument that Republicans would outright ban abortion. A majority of Republicans have stated that they believe the abortion issue should be handled at the state level.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and exclusive interviews from the 2024 campaign trail at our Planet Chronicle Digital election hub.

by Julia Johnson

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