Biden campaign to mark second anniversary of Roe reversal as he makes abortion rights a key reelection message

By Michael Williams, CNN

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden and his allies will mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade this week, homing in on an issue that the president’s campaign sees as key to his reelection bid.

Biden’s campaign is hosting more than 50 events across the country through Monday’s two-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned the federal legal right to an abortion. The events will feature key Biden surrogates, celebrities and political figures.

First lady Jill Biden will participate in two “Women for Biden-Harris” events Sunday in Pennsylvania, and Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to participate in two events, one in Arizona and one in Maryland, on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Dobbs decision. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will participate in a roundtable and campaign rally in Michigan on Monday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre confirmed last week that the administration also will “commemorate” the anniversary Monday, though details were not immediately released.

That strategy fits in with the campaign’s belief that voters in November will be most motivated by tangible issues that could impact their day-to-day lives, as opposed to the world crises and discussions about the candidates’ age and fitness for office that have dominated much of the national conversation.

The Biden campaign for months has been using reproductive rights to rally voters, especially the young and female blocs that are especially crucial to his reelection chances. Both Biden and Harris have repeatedly campaigned on former President Donald Trump’s boast that he crafted the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court that overturned Roe two years ago – and both have warned that another Trump term could portend a national abortion ban.

Since the beginning of this year, Harris has undertaken a “fight for reproductive freedoms” tour that has seen her criss-cross the country, with special focus on states such as Florida and Arizona that have passed or upheld laws restricting women’s access to abortion care.

“We know how this all came about and who’s to blame,” Harris said in a virtual campaign event earlier this month. “Donald Trump handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended, and now in over 20 states, we have Trump abortion bans.

The vice president stressed that other reproductive rights could be in jeopardy if Trump is reelected, given the court’s conservative majority.

“When the Supreme Court and extremists around the country have taken such a fundamental freedom – like the freedom to make decisions about your body, your own body – you should assume anything could be on the table,” Harris said. “And that should be a wake-up call to everyone.”

Jill Biden, meanwhile, has saved some of her fiercest critiques of her husband’s political opponent for discussions surrounding women’s health care.

“Donald Trump,” the first lady said to boos at an event in Atlanta in early March. “He spent a lifetime tearing us down and devaluing our existence. He mocks women’s bodies, disrespects our accomplishments and brags about assault. Now he’s bragging about killing Roe v. Wade.”

“He took credit again for enabling states like Georgia to pass cruel abortion bans that are taking away the right of women to make their own health care decisions,” the first lady said. “How far will he go? When will he stop? You know the answer: He won’t.”

Following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision, nearly two dozen states have banned or limited access to the procedure. States where abortion is most limited report higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as greater economic insecurity.

Speaking at recent fundraisers, President Biden has argued the next four years could see openings on the Supreme Court – and if Trump fills those openings, it could lead to a downslide in personal liberties.

“The idea that if he’s reelected he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down,” Biden said at a Los Angeles fundraiser last weekend, appearing to reference the flag controversy involving Justice Samuel Alito.

Asked by emcee Jimmy Kimmel whether that was one of the scariest prospects of another Trump term, Biden replied: “It is one of the scariest parts.”

“The Supreme Court has never been as out of kilter as it is today, I mean never,” the president added.

CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.

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