Vice President Kamala Harris sought to rally pro-abortion rights doctors, nurses, and advocates at the White House ahead of the Supreme Court's expected opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Although the Supreme Court has yet to release its official ruling, Harris claimed the leaked draft, if formalized, would represent the first time in at least 50 years the court "has recognized a constitutional right, only to take it away."
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"The strength of our country has always been that we fight to move forward, that we believe in the expansion of rights, not the restriction of rights," she told the group, adding the decision would be "an extreme step backwards."
Like President Joe Biden, Harris drew parallels between abortion access and same-sex marriage, describing pro-abortion rights activists as being "on the front lines against this war on women's rights."
"At its core, this is about our future as a nation, about whether we live in a country where the government can interfere in personal decisions," she said.
Harris also criticized Oklahoma lawmakers for passing one of the country's strictest anti-abortion bills Thursday. The vice president dismissed the measure, which prohibits almost all abortions starting from the moment of fertilization, as "outrageous."
Harris has previously referenced the fundamental right to privacy and self-determination in statements and remarks.
"This is the time to fight for women and for our country with everything we have," she wrote this month, redeploying the word "fight."
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In preparation for the opinion, the Department of Homeland Security is warning of potential political unrest. Law enforcement agencies are investigating threats circulated on social media regarding the Supreme Court, the justices, their clerks, abortion providers, places of worship, and clergy members.