In Dallas, Vice President Harris touts record, criticizes Trump in speech to thousands of sorority members
DALLAS — Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Dallas Wednesday amid continuing questions by some Democratic leaders in Congress about whether President Biden should step aside and not run for another four years.
The vice president spoke before thousands of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members, the nation's oldest and largest Black sorority.
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters, wearing their official colors of salmon pink and apple green, welcomed Harris, a fellow sorority sister, to their Dallas convention.
"Oh my heart is full," Harris said.
She reminded women here about the work she said she and Mr. Biden have done to expand access to affordable health care, including for new mothers and capping the cost of insulin for the elderly.
Harris also announced a new national health and safety standard for new mothers.
"Which means nearly every hospital in our country will soon be required to provide new mothers with delivery rooms fully stocked with lifesaving medical equipment," the vice president said.
But she said despite that, the country faces a threat from Republicans.
"Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights."
Among those, she said are reproductive or abortion rights.
Harris criticized former President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
"Understand how we got here," Harris said. "Then-President Donald Trump hand-picked three members of the Supreme Court, a court of Thurgood, because he intended for them to overturn Roe v Wade and as he intended, they did. The government should not be telling her what to do with her body."
The vice president's visit to Dallas comes amid rising poll numbers for Trump, not only nationally, but in the critical battleground states where the election will be won.
Trump has received higher marks than Mr. Biden and Harris in the polls when it comes to what Americans consider the biggest issues: inflation and the economy and border security.
Harris didn't mention the concerns by some Democrats about President Biden staying in the race following the June 27 debate. But for women like Alexier Barbour, a sorority member from Dallas, "I was really moved by her speech."
Barbour is among those with a message for the various Democratic leaders calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.
"Reconsider the call to possibly have another nominee to stand in place as our president," said Barbour.
Asked if she's sticking with Biden, Barbour said, "I am standing by him. I think it would be a mistake for us to pivot at this point."
Reyanna Davis, a sorority member from San Francisco agreed.
"They've been doing a great job and great work and so I just think at the end of the day, we should just continue the work that has been going on," said Davis.
Harris urged her fellow sorority sisters to support their reelection.
"I do believe this is the most existential, consequential, and important election of our lifetimes," said Harris.
Her supporters responded by chanting four more years as she left the stage.
Before boarding Air Force 2 for the trip back to Washinton, the network pooled press shouted questions to the vice president about whether Biden should step down, but she did not respond.
Some 20,000 sorority members registered for the Dallas convention, which ends Thursday.
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