Throughout Joe Biden’s presidency, he has relied on Kamala Harris, his vice president and a former prosecutor and senator, to be the White House’s strong advocate for reproductive health rights.
As the Democrats prepare for the upcoming Election Day, Harris is expected to take a firm stance on abortion access if she becomes the party’s presumptive nominee, directly challenging former President Donald Trump on this critical issue. Biden endorsed Harris on Sunday when he announced his decision to leave the race.
While Biden has focused on abortion rights during his reelection campaign, some abortion advocates doubted his effectiveness as a standard-bearer due to his personal reservations about the issue. Harris, however, has taken significant steps to support reproductive rights. She was the first vice president to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic, conducted a nationwide tour focused on reproductive rights, and criticized Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, for blocking protections for in vitro fertilization.
“Harris would be the face of the drive to protect abortion rights,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, before Biden stepped aside. “Abortion access would likely be front and center in her campaign.”
Harris’s strong stance on abortion isn’t her only contrast to the GOP. She has a solid background in health policy. As a child, she often accompanied her mother to work, visiting the lab where she studied breast cancer. During her 2019 presidential run, she supported “Medicare for All,” a single-payer insurance proposal. As California’s attorney general, she opposed health industry consolidation to prevent price increases. She also supported a Biden administration rule setting minimum staffing levels at federally funded nursing homes.
“She deserves credit for her advocacy on the campaign trail,” said Debbie Curtis, vice president at McDermott + Consulting. “Her priorities on health care will likely remain unchanged if she becomes the nominee.”
A focus on women’s health and abortion could energize Democratic voters. Since Trump’s Supreme Court appointees helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, public opinion has shifted against Republicans on abortion, contributing to their poor performance in the 2022 midterm elections.
A May Gallup Poll found that 32% of voters would only support candidates who share their views on abortion, a record high. Pew Research Center reported in April that 63% of adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Republicans have tried to distance themselves from their victory on abortion. Trump stated he would leave abortion decisions to the states, which upset some of his base. Despite this, the GOP’s stance remains clear. Vance supports a national abortion ban, and the GOP platform’s recognition of “fetal personhood” would effectively create a nationwide ban if upheld by the Supreme Court.
These views contrast with those of many Republican voters, especially women. About half of Republican women think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a recent KFF survey.
If Harris leads the ticket, she is expected to highlight these issues. “It’s been one of her main focuses in the last year or two,” said Matthew Baum, professor of global communications at Harvard University. “Republicans are trying to defang the issue, but it’s been a disaster for them.”
However, Republicans would likely portray Harris’s views on abortion as extreme. During a presidential debate, Trump falsely claimed Democrats support late-term abortions.
After Biden endorsed Harris, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America criticized her record, highlighting the contentious nature of the issue. “While Joe Biden has trouble saying the word abortion, Kamala Harris shouts it,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president.
Pollsters suggest Harris needs a clear, specific plan to motivate voters. “She has to advocate for a federal law to restore Roe v. Wade,” said Robert Blendon, an emeritus public health professor at Harvard University.
Harris’s rise to the top of the ticket comes at a crucial time for reproductive rights. The Supreme Court recently heard two abortion cases but ruled on technicalities rather than the merits. These cases are expected to return to the court.
One case challenges the FDA’s 2000 approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. The Supreme Court ruled that the anti-abortion medical professionals who challenged the drug lacked standing but sent the case back to a Texas district court. The GOP attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri have joined the case.
The other case involves a conflict between federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care and Idaho’s strict abortion ban. The Supreme Court declared the case premature and sent it back to the lower court.
Harris would likely emphasize the Biden administration’s health policy achievements, such as enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, a $35 monthly cap on insulin copays, and drug price negotiation in Medicare. “She is well positioned to take credit for these accomplishments,” said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health.
However, it may be challenging for any candidate to highlight these achievements, especially regarding drug prices. “New expensive drugs keep coming out,” said Joseph Antos of the American Enterprise Institute. “Voters do not believe drug costs are decreasing.”
Antos suggested Harris needs to focus on issues with broad appeal, such as cost and access to treatments, alongside reproductive rights. “She’s got to concentrate on these issues if she wants to win,” he said.
