Before Vice President Harris finished her comments last week on the repeal of Roe v. Wade on behalf of the Supreme Court, she issued a warning: “This is not over.”
In the coming weeks, Harris will intensify the contrast between Democrats and Republicans just after the high court reverses the decades-old view that abortion was a constitutional right, while hitting the road to try to help Democrats before the partial exams
The effort was in the works before the Supreme Court decision, but the Roe message will be a big part of Harris’ effort, sources told The Hill.
“That’s going to be a big chart,” said a source familiar with Harris’ strategy on the high court ruling, adding that the vice president will also offer contrasts on other big policy issues.
Harris sat down for a one-on-one interview with CNN on Monday, her first since the ruling was issued, during which she expressed shock and outrage at the decision and said she believed the Supreme Court was on track to reverse decisions on it. sexual marriage and contraception.
“I definitely think this is not over,” he said of Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion suggesting the court should review those decisions. “I think he just said the quiet part out loud.”
Harris’s amplified message comes as Democrats are deeply concerned that Republicans will retake both chambers of Congress amid President Biden’s anemic approval ratings. Rumors that Biden might not choose to run for re-election have also increased among Democrats.
Harris would be a major White House contender if Biden decided not to run, so the new effort also serves as an opportunity for the vice president to improve her own political heritage.
“If he gets out there between now and the midterms and there are significant victories that are claimed by the Democrats, he can certainly take credit and it would be a boon to his national standing,” said Basil Smikle, a political strategist and the director of the public policy program at Hunter College.
Harris has already begun testing the strategy in recent appearances, including at a dinner earlier this month for the South Carolina Democratic Party.
“As Democrats, we fight for a future where anyone can start and grow a business and where workers can earn fair wages and are treated with respect; a future where all Americans can live and love without government interference, and yes, where every woman has the freedom to make decisions about her own body,” she said to applause from the Palmetto State crowd. “These are the values that Democrats stand for. And let’s be clear: And much of this is what the GOP is opposed to. Think about it.”
At dinner, Harris ticked off a list of political issues, from pandemic relief to extending the child tax credit, noting that “no Republicans” voted for those measures.
The vice president publicly rebuked the leaked draft ruling that suggested the Supreme Court was about to strike down Roe.
During a speech at an EMILY’s List convention the day after Politico reported on the leaked draft in early May, Harris accused Republicans of using the law as a weapon to restrict women’s rights.
“How dare they!” Harris told the crowd, a line The Hill previously reported was personally added to the vice president’s speech.
The vice president is expected to continue to highlight what Democrats stand for and the values they stand for, a source familiar with her strategy said. And she will discuss how values are manifested.
Harris also led a handful of listening sessions with Democratic attorneys general, abortion providers and other stakeholders before the ruling.
Still, the White House has focused on other crises, such as rising gas and food prices and Russia’s war in Ukraine, and also made sure to avoid discussing plans to respond publicly to the court’s opinion. Supreme before the final document was issued.
Behind the scenes, administration officials have consulted with state legislators, abortion groups and others to gain a better understanding of the laws on the books in various states. The White House has offered few concrete actions so far that it plans to take to help access abortion despite a flurry of state restrictions that have gone into effect.
Democratic strategists, donors and lawmakers say they have wanted to hear more about the message Harris delivered on Friday.
“Why wasn’t there more of that?” a Democratic strategist questioned Monday. “Why didn’t he keep beating the drum? Imagine how powerful that would have been coming from her.”
Smikle said the White House could have done more to publicly expose the ruling’s implications during the time between the leaked draft and the final opinion, though he noted that the behind-the-scenes work to prepare the ruling was also important. .
Smikle said Harris would be an effective messenger for Democrats to talk about the urgency of the upcoming election when it comes to abortion rights. But he also called on the White House to empower new and younger Democratic voices to speak out on the issue in Congress and at the state level.
“There has to be a steady rhythm, a constant and prolonged sense of urgency before midterms,” he said.
Reference-thehill.com