Vice President Kamala Harris on Ukraine-Russia conflict, voting rights and inflation
Vice President Kamala Harris said there is "so much at stake" when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, telling "CBS Mornings" Wednesday that images coming out of Ukraine are "heart-wrenching." While the Biden administration has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine, Harris said they will continue to stand in unity, offering financial support and military assistance.
"I will tell you, the president is clear, we are clear, we are not going to put U.S. troops in Ukraine to fight the Russians, not on the ground and not in the air. But we are going to continue working with our allies, to one, defend every inch of territory as it relates to NATO territory, but also what we will continue to do with the billions of dollars of humanitarian security and military assistance that we have been providing Ukraine."
The vice president praised President Zelensky as an "inspiration to all of us," and said that providing support to Ukraine is re-evaluated "each day."
While voting rights were briefly mentioned in President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, Harris said the issue was not on the backburner and urged Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
"The president has said over and over again, and we have made very clear, that this is about protecting America's democracy against those various states in particular and state legislators and governors who are in a full-on assault on the right of every American who is eligible to actually be able to vote," she said.
Harris called the high cost of living in this country one of the "biggest issues" that needs to be addressed. She focused specifically on the need for Congress to pass legislation that would help tackle the cost of childcare.
"What we do is we pass the legislation that we have been pushing, which will bring down these costs and make living more affordable for working people. In addition to what we will continue to do to grow our economy," Harris said.