White House plans high-profile events around anniversary of overturning Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON — The White House will hold a series of high-profile events this week in the run-up to the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Separately, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will also join the Democratic National Committee on Friday in Washington for an event with three of the nation's largest reproductive rights groups: EMILYs List, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

First lady Jill Biden will host a roundtable conversation at the White House on Tuesday with women who have been denied medical care in the year post-Roe, according to a White House official.

As part of the administration’s effort to mark the anniversary this week, she will be joined by White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein and four women from across the country to “highlight their stories” and the administration's “commitment to protecting access to reproductive health care,” the official said.

The White House’s week of focusing on reproductive rights will culminate with a major speech by Harris on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Harris will rally supporters, advocates and community leaders on abortion access, which Biden aides view as a key issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election.

The events underscore that abortion will remain a major focus for Democrats heading into 2024. The DNC event comes after the nation’s largest labor unions and key environmental groups endorsed the 2024 ticket in coordinated shows of support.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will call doctors to thank them for their work and hear about how state abortion bans are affecting their practices, and he will attend Harris' speech in North Carolina, a White House official said.

Harris is also scheduled to sit down Tuesday with MSNBC’s Joy Reid for a televised roundtable discussion on administration’s actions to protect reproductive rights.

Last week, the White House convened more than 80 state legislators from 41 states who are on the front lines of this issue. In her remarks this coming weekend, Harris plans to draw a contrast between the “Republicans’ extreme approach” and the Biden administration’s work to protect reproductive health care, the official said.

The Supreme Court ruling last year became a defining moment and a galvanizing force for Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, specifically with key voting groups like women and young voters.

The Biden-Harris re-election campaign will also amplify the anniversary as part of its messaging and fundraising efforts, according to an aide.

“The Biden-Harris Administration stands with the vast majority of Americans who believe that the right to choose is fundamental and that health care decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor,” a White House official said.

The president, the first lady, the vice president and the second gentleman will also all urge lawmakers to codify abortion rights, which has not had enough support to pass on Capitol Hill, even when Democrats controlled both chambers.

“We will continue to call on Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade, the only way to secure access to abortion for women in every state,” the official added.