Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Arizona on Friday to criticize former President Donald J. Trump for his role in imposing abortion restrictions. She plans to hold him accountable for bans in Arizona and across the country.
During a rally in Tucson, Ms. Harris will focus on the Biden campaign’s latest strategy to highlight laws supported by Republicans that have restricted abortion access for many American women, placing the blame squarely on Donald Trump.
She will also address the potential enforcement of the Comstock Act by a second Trump administration, which could effectively ban medication abortion nationwide without the need for congressional approval.
“They want to use another law from the 1800s — the Comstock Act — to ban medication abortion in all 50 states,” Ms. Harris is expected to say in Tucson. “A ban that would include states where abortion is currently legal.”
Medication abortions currently constitute the majority of abortions nationwide, so the enforcement of the Comstock Act could have a significant impact on the availability of this procedure.
Despite Trump never publicly mentioning the act, some of his allies have started proposing ways to utilize it through executive actions. The Comstock Act, originally focused on prohibiting the mailing of certain materials, has now become entangled in a high-profile lawsuit regarding abortion pills.
Following a recent ruling by Arizona’s top court upholding a law from 1864 that severely limits abortions, the state has become a focal point in the national debate on reproductive rights. This decision has prompted Democrats to emphasize abortion rights in their campaigns, resulting in unexpected victories. The Biden campaign has released new ads targeting Mr. Trump on this issue.
“The overturning of Roe was a seismic event,” Ms. Harris is expected to say in Tucson. “And this ban in Arizona is one of the biggest aftershocks yet.”
Ms. Harris’s upcoming comments in Arizona represent a direct and prolonged critique of Mr. Trump on abortion, a departure from her usual official capacity statements on the topic. This campaign rally in Tucson provides her with the opportunity to speak more openly and forcefully.
“We all must understand who is to blame,” her prepared remarks state. “It is the former president, Donald Trump. It is Donald Trump who, during his campaign in 2016, said women should be punished for seeking an abortion.”
Originally scheduled to address student debt, Ms. Harris adjusted her Arizona trip to focus on abortion rights following the court ruling. The timing coincided with Mr. Trump’s recent remarks advocating for states to decide on abortion restrictions, further highlighting the urgency of the issue.
Republicans, including Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake, have found themselves on the defensive. Lake’s shift in stance on abortion reflects the evolving political landscape, particularly after recent Supreme Court decisions impacting abortion rights.
“This is the first presidential election since Dobbs. And it is a massively important issue because it does affect every woman in some capacity. It just does,” said Stephanie Schriock, emphasizing the significance of abortion rights in the current political climate.
