Kamala Harris, vice president, will lean into abortion fight with U.S. tour in early 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris will tour the country in early 2024 to condemn new abortion limits and push for the restoration of rights that existed before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the White House said Tuesday.

Ms. Harris will kick off the “Reproductive Freedoms Tour” on Jan. 22 in Wisconsin, a swing state that could determine whether she and President Biden are reelected. The White House will announce more sites and dates soon.

“I will continue to fight for our fundamental freedoms while bringing together those throughout America who agree that every woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body — not the government,” Ms. Harris said.

Democrats were outraged by the 2022 court decision that overturned the broad national rights to abortion enshrined in the 1973 Roe ruling.

However, they are using the issue as a political cudgel whenever they can, seeing it as a winning issue at the ballot box.

They say state limits imposed after the justices’ ruling are unpopular, pointing to several ballot measures that upheld abortion rights.

Republicans are trying to regain the upper hand with voters by characterizing the Democratic position as extreme. They say Democrats appear fine with abortion until birth and should be willing to debate appropriate limits on the procedure.

The White House said Ms. Harris will promote the Biden administration’s efforts to expand health care services. She will also warn of a national ban on abortion if Republicans win the White House and more seats in Congress.

GOP candidates for president have differed on the issue.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for instance, has said he would support a limit 15 weeks into pregnancy, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has said it doesn’t make sense to promise a sweeping ban without national consensus on the issue. 

However, Ms. Haley also told Iowa voters she would have signed a six-week restriction if the state Legislature had presented it to her.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, has suggested the issue is best left to the states and said he would negotiate with Democrats on a limit. Mr. Biden and other rivals frequently point to Mr. Trump’s role in appointing three justices responsible for overturning the Roe decision.

The White House on Tuesday said Ms. Harris has held more than 50 meetings in at least 16 states on abortion access since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision.