Vice President Kamala Harris said the potential Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade is an attack on women and chastised Republicans for “weaponizing” the issue, providing a first glimpse of how the White House may use the abortion rights battle to energize voters in the upcoming midterm elections.
“If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it will be a direct assault on freedom,” Harris, a Democrat, said at a gala hosted by Emily’s List, an organisation that works to elect pro-abortion Democrats to office.
The event comes after a draught Supreme Court decision, leaked late Monday, revealed that the court’s conservative majority is prepared to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which guaranteed a woman’s right to abortion. The authenticity of the leaked document was confirmed by the court.
The Harris speech was planned prior to the ruling’s leak, but it has taken on new significance.
Biden has long advocated for women’s health, particularly abortion rights.
Harris is an obvious choice for the Biden administration to bring up the issue on the campaign trail during the midterm elections. In the November midterm elections, nearly two-thirds of Americans said they are more likely to vote for candidates who support abortion rights.
