Vice President Kamala Harris took advantage of the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade to claim Donald Trump is “guilty” of rolling back women’s freedoms and sparking a nationwide health care crisis.
Harris said Monday that Donald Trump “intended” for his three Supreme Court picks to overturn Roe v. Wade. “It was premeditated,” she said. Trump has not denied, much less shown remorse, for his actions.”
The vice president, in a nod to her experience as a California prosecutor, added: “In the case of stealing the reproductive freedom of American women, Donald Trump is guilty.”
While President Joe Biden is isolated at Camp David preparing for this week’s presidential debate with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, the vice president is headlining events to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision.
Democrats hope she will galvanize voters. She traveled to Arizona for a second event on reproductive rights later Monday.
Last week, the campaign featured first lady Jill Biden and a number of women motivated to join the 2024 effort after suffering — or nearly dying — because of restrictive abortion laws which, in some cases, were applied even if they never intended to terminate their pregnancy.
Rolling back federal protections means the issue is now primarily in the hands of the states, where laws vary wildly. At least 25 million women now live in states where abortion is restricted and face increasingly serious consequences. And this is changing how doctors practice and where they are based.
Donald Trump has repeatedly taken credit for rolling back federally guaranteed abortion rights. He named three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, but has since resisted supporting a national ban on abortion.
Americans in favor of abortion
Nearly two-thirds of Americans said abortion should be legal in at least some cases, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted last summer. The survey also found that six in 10 American adults believe Congress should pass legislation guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.
Support for legal abortion was particularly high in situations where the health of the pregnant person was seriously threatened by the pregnancy. In the poll, more than eight in 10 Americans said abortion in such circumstances should be allowed in their state. Support for legal abortion early in pregnancy was also high with around 75% approval.
Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician and gynecologist running for a congressional seat in Wisconsin, said Monday it’s a question of freedom.
“People are concerned about the cost of gas and groceries,” said Ms. Lyerly during a conference call with journalists.
“They do talk about limits, but the fundamental thing they are concerned about is the ability to make their own health care decisions. It’s a question of freedom. It’s not a political issue for them. It’s existential.”
Ms. Lyerly performed abortions throughout Wisconsin but temporarily moved her practice to Minnesota after the Supreme Court decision. She was among those who successfully filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on abortion.
The White House also details its policy efforts to protect access to abortion, access to contraception and the right to travel for medical care, pending another Supreme Court decision expected this month that will affect how women receive emergency medical care.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court preserved access to a drug that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year, in the court’s first ruling on abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
But there is another case, related to a federal law, called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. The law requires doctors to stabilize or treat any patient who presents to the emergency room and applies to almost all emergency rooms — those that accept Medicare funding.
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Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this article.
