Vice President Kamala Harris will tour the country in early 2024 to condemn abortion limits and push for the restoration of rights that existed before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the White House said Tuesday.
Ms. Harris will kick off the “Reproductive Freedoms Tour” on Jan. 22 in Wisconsin, a swing state that could determine whether she and President Biden are reelected. The White House will announce more sites and dates soon.
“I will continue to fight for our fundamental freedoms while bringing together those throughout America who agree that every woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body — not the government,” Ms. Harris said.
Democrats were outraged by the 2022 court decision that overturned the national right to abortion enshrined in the 1973 Roe ruling.
They’re using the issue as a political cudgel, seeing it as a winning issue at the ballot box.
They say state limits imposed after the justices’ ruling are unpopular, pointing to several successful ballot measures and election wins that centered on abortion rights.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently won a second term against Daniel Cameron, the state’s GOP attorney general who backed abortion limits.
Democrats in Virginia seized control of both chambers of the Legislature after making the race a referendum on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s embrace of an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions.
Voters in Ohio this year passed a citizen-sponsored measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state Constitution.
However, a similar measure to enshrine abortion rights in the South Dakota Constitution is splitting voters and falling short of majority support, according to a poll from South Dakota News Watch. The state has a strict abortion ban.
Republicans are trying to regain the upper hand with voters by characterizing the Democratic position as extreme. They say Democrats appear fine with abortion until birth and should be willing to debate appropriate limits on the procedure.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said it looks forward to Ms. Harris’ tour because it will put the administration’s “extreme” position on abortion in “national full view.”
“Like most of their platform, Biden-Harris’ no limits stance on abortion is deeply out of touch with most Americans who want significant limits,” said E.V. Osment, the group’s vice president of communications. “However, they’ve made it clear they will stop at nothing, including ignoring the will of Americans, by taking their show on the road to push an extreme activist wish list of abortions on demand.”
The White House said Ms. Harris will promote the Biden administration’s efforts to expand health care service. She will also warn of a national ban on abortion if Republicans win the White House and more seats in Congress.
GOP candidates for president have differed on the issue.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for instance, has said he would support a limit 15 weeks into pregnancy, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has said it doesn’t make sense to promise a sweeping ban without national consensus on the issue.
However, Ms. Haley told Iowa voters last month that if she were still South Carolina’s governor she would have signed a six-week restriction if the Legislature had presented it to her.
In contrast, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he would not sign a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
Former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, has suggested the issue is best left to the states and said he would negotiate with Democrats on a limit. Mr. Biden and other rivals frequently point to Mr. Trump’s role in appointing three justices responsible for overturning the Roe decision.
SBA List said GOP candidates should not shy away from the issue, pointing to an August poll from Cygnal that found 56% of Americans would support limiting abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy.
“We must have a GOP nominee who is a national defender of life, boldly articulating the pro-life position and contrasting it with the extreme position of Democrats,” Ms. Osment said. “As president, they must advocate for consensus in Congress and work hard to garner the votes necessary to pass protections to serve mothers and save children. Dismissing the task as unrealistic is unacceptable.”
The White House on Tuesday said Ms. Harris has held more than 50 meetings in at least 16 states on abortion access since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision.
She also highlighted the issue during a recent college tour in eight states.
• Reporter Seth McLaughlin contributed to this article.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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