Kamala Harris Unites With Oprah For Emotional Town Hall, Speaks To Family Of Amber Thurman

Vice President Kamala Harris went into detail about her plans for border security control and reproductive rights during Oprah Winfrey’s Unite For America virtual stream held on Sept. 19.

Harris and Winfrey spoke to the family of Amber Thurman.

The audience, which included celebrities like Chris Rock, Julia Roberts, and Meryl Streep, was moved to tears when the family of Amber Thurman shared her tragic story. Thurman, a 28-year-old mother from Georgia, died in 2022 after suffering a severe infection following the use of medically approved abortion pills. She endured over 17 hours of pain due to delays in her dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, which was complicated by the fear of legal repercussions from Georgia’s LIFE Act, which criminalizes such procedures.

Thurman’s mother, Shanette, held back tears as she reflected on the painful loss of her daughter for the first time in public. “Initially, I did not want the public to know my pain,” the grieving mom told Harris and Winfrey. “I want you all to know Amber was not a statistic. She was loved by a family, a strong family, and we would have done whatever to get my baby, our baby, the help she needed.”

Shanette said she fought past her apprehension of sharing her daughter’s painful story because she wanted women around the world “to know that this is preventable.” She added, “you’re looking at a mother who is broken. The worst pain ever that a mother, that a parent, could ever feel. Her father and myself and the family — you’re looking at it.”

Harris responded to the family’s plea, outlining her commitment to strengthening abortion rights across all 50 states.

“I’m just so sorry. And the courage that you have all shown is extraordinary, because also you just learned about how it is that she died. Amber’s mom shared with me that the word over and over again in her mind is preventable,” she shared, before detailing some of the extreme consequences that medical staff face due to former President Donald Trump’s abortion bans such as life in prison.

She’s fighting for a bipartisan border security bill.

Later on during the Unite For America stream, an audience member named Justin inquired about Harris’ plans to strengthen border security. The first Black and South Asian VP responded by affirming her commitment to signing a bipartisan border security bill that had previously been derailed after Trump urged lawmakers to reject it. The bill aims to address border security and immigration in a manner that garners support from both parties, focusing on measures to enhance enforcement, allocate funding for security technologies, and to improve the processing of asylum seekers.

Harris emphasized that her firsthand experience in prosecuting transnational criminal organizations makes immigration a top priority for her. She highlighted Congress’ failure to pass a bipartisan border security bill, which would have added 1,500 border agents and provided essential support to bolstering border control safety in America. The legislation also aimed to address the influx of fentanyl, which, according to Harris, has had a devastating impact on families nationwide.

The battle against fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S. seems to be making progress, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, decreased from 76,226 in 2022 to 74,702 in 2023. However, the overall situation remains serious and requires continued attention.

Listen to a snippet from Winfrey and Harris’ Unite For America stream below. Thoughts?

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