WASHINGTON — First Lady Jill Biden will host a roundtable at the White House on Tuesday with women who have been denied medical care in the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a White House official.
As part of the administration’s effort to mark the anniversary this week, she will be joined by White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein and four women from across the country to “spotlight their stories” and “the administration’s commitment to protecting access to reproductive health”. care,” the official said.
The meeting, shared for the first time with NBC News, will kick off a series of high-level events focused on overturning the historic decision, which will culminate with a major speech by Vice President Kamala Harris. Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Harris will bring together supporters, advocates and community leaders on abortion access, which Biden aides see as a key issue for voters ahead of the 2024 election.
President Biden will also speak around the first anniversary with remarks expected later in the week, according to the White House official. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will also mark the occasion, although his plans have yet to be announced.
Harris is also set to sit down with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Tuesday for a televised panel discussion on the administration’s actions to protect reproductive rights.
Last week, the White House convened more than 80 state lawmakers from 41 states who are on the front lines of this issue. In his remarks next weekend, Harris plans to draw a contrast between “Republicans’ extreme approach” and the Biden administration’s work to protect reproductive health care, the official said.
The Supreme Court’s decision last year has become a defining moment and a galvanizing force for Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, especially with key voting groups like women and young voters.
The Biden-Harris reelection campaign will also amplify the anniversary as part of its messaging and fundraising efforts, according to an aide.
Last week, the country’s largest unions and major environmental groups endorsed the 2024 ticket in coordinated demonstrations of support, which could be replicated by major women’s groups next week.
“The Biden-Harris administration stands with the vast majority of Americans who believe that the right to choose is fundamental and that decisions about health care should be made between a woman and her doctor,” said one. White House official.
The president, first lady, vice president and second gentleman will also urge lawmakers to codify abortion rights, which didn’t have enough support to pass on Capitol Hill even when Democrats controlled both houses. .
“We will continue to call on Congress to pass legislation restoring Roe’s protections against Wade, the only way to ensure access to abortion for women in all states,” the official added.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com