Vice Presidential Pool Reports of February 22, 2024

VP Pool Report #1 / JBA Departure

Good morning,

I'll be your supplemental pooler for the VP's trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan where she will continue her nationwide "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour by convening a roundtable conversation with medical providers, patients, reproductive rights advocates, and state and local leaders. This roundtable will have a pool spray at the top and will be livestreamed at WhiteHouse.Gov/Live.

VP stepped out of Marine 2 at 10:42am wearing a grey suit and a black coat.

She waved at the pool but did not stop to take a question. She walked up the stairs, waved once more and entered AF2 at 10:43am.

From the VP's office:

On Background From a White House Official:
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris is traveling to Grand Rapids, MI to continue her nationwide "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour. During the fourth stop of her tour, the Vice President will highlight how organizers, advocates, and elected leaders in states like Michigan have worked to protect reproductive rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The 2:30 p.m. ET roundtable conversation will have a pool spray at the top and be livestreamed at WhiteHouse.Gov/Live

Michigan is the 11th state that the Vice President has traveled to in 2024, and this trip is her fourth visit to the state since being sworn in. She will be joined by medical providers, patients, reproductive rights advocates, and state and local leaders. Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, and U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten will also participate.

Reproductive rights in Michigan:
Michiganders successfully organized to put reproductive freedom on the ballot. Following the Dobbs decision, a coalition of reproductive rights advocates submitted more signatures than any other ballot measure in state history. Proposal 3 ultimately passed in November 2022, creating a state constitutional amendment that protects access to reproductive health care.

The state also enacted a series of bills that protect abortion access. This includes repealing a 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest, repealing barriers to health insurance coverage for abortion, and repealing a law that criminalized provisions of medication abortion. Additionally, Governor Whitmer required state agencies to review ways to expand people's right to reproductive health care under the state constitution, instructed state agencies to not cooperate with out-of-state investigations into women who received abortion care, and expanded access to birth control.

Despite the state's leadership on protecting women's reproductive freedoms, Michiganders remain under threat by extremist leaders who are proposing a national abortion ban and are continuing to push for nationwide restrictions on accessing medication abortion.

Background on the "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" Tour:
The Vice President's nationwide tour kicked off with a speech in Waukesha County, WI on Jan. 22 – 51 years to the day that Roe v. Wade was decided. The tour continued with a moderated conversation in San Jose, CA on Jan. 29 and a speech in Savannah, GA on Feb. 6.

She is visiting states that are experiencing chaos and confusion after Roe v. Wade was overturned, states where women's reproductive freedom is being protected, and states with extreme abortion bans that are threatening the lives, health, and wellbeing of women. During each stop, she is highlighting the harm caused by extreme abortion bans, sharing stories of those who have been impacted across the country, and outlining steps the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to protect access to health care. She is also holding extremists accountable for proposing a national abortion ban, calling on Congress to restore the protections of Roe, and urging attendees to continue using their voices and stay engaged in the fight for fundamental freedoms.

This tour is a continuation of the Vice President's consistent leadership in the fight for reproductive rights. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she has held more than 60 convenings in 20 states while bringing together hundreds of elected officials, health care providers, faith leaders, students, and advocates who are on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom. Last year, the Vice President also embarked on a "Fight for Our Freedoms" college tour in which she traveled to eight states, mobilized more than 15,000 students, and took questions directly from young leaders on a range of issues including reproductive freedom.

Background on the Vice President's leadership on reproductive rights:

• She has convened 250+ state legislators from 28 states since the Dobbs decision
• As part of the Administration's Task Force on Reproductive Health Care Access, she brought together Cabinet Secretaries across the government to implement the government's response to the Dobbs decision
• Share traveled to Tallahassee, Florida to mark the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2023
• She traveled to North Carolina and Texas to markone-year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade
• She also traveled to Iowa to hold two conversations about the state's extreme abortion ban
• On the anniversary of Roe in January 2023, the Vice President also elevated patients and providers' stories to spread the word about the harmful impact of these extreme bans
• In June, the Vice President sat down with an OB-GYN in Missouri to discuss the impact of abortion restrictions
• In November 2023, the Vice President met with an abortion rights advocate in Texas as she continues to uplift the young leaders who are on the frontlines of this fight

Background on the Vice President's longstanding leadership on fighting to protect women and girls:

• Vice President Harris has led on issues related to protecting the wellbeing of women and girls since before she was elected as District Attorney of San Francisco. Prior to becoming DA, she specialized in prosecuting crimes against women and children and later, as chief of the Division on Children and Families at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, she continued prosecuting cases against domestic violence perpetrators, child abusers, and sex traffickers.
• As District Attorney, she sponsored a bill putting the crime of human trafficking into the state criminal code.
• As Attorney General, she continued to lead on efforts to combat human trafficking, reduce sexual violence, and seek justice for sexual assault victims. In her first year in office, she eliminated a longstanding backlog of untested rape kits in state-run labs.

Background on the Vice President's leadership on improving maternal health:

• Three years ago, she issued a call to action that urged states to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to 12. As of this week, 43 states have done so, providing care to millions of new moms at a moment when more than half of pregnancy-related deaths occur between one week and one year postpartum.

• In 2022, the Vice President built on this work bylaunching the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, a whole-of-government strategy containing 50 actions that over a dozen agencies are undertaking to help improve maternal care. Last month, the Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President and Domestic Policy Council Director also convened private sector leaders at the White House to discuss innovations that will improve maternal health and birth outcomes for pregnant women, postpartum women, and their infants.
• Since taking office, Vice President Harris has regularly traveled the nation and to raiseawareness about this crisis while forging public-private partnerships to address it.
• She has also used her digital platforms to highlight this important issue.

VP Pool Report #2 / Arrival in MI

After a one hour and 24 minutes flight, Air Force 2 was wheels down at Grand Rapids at 12:25pm. It's sunny and not too cold with 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The VP deplaned at 12:38pm.

We are rolling to the Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids where the VP is scheduled to take part in a round table event.

The VP visited the back of the plane just before takeoff from Andrews and chatted off the record for a couple minutes.

On Background From a White House Official:

Upon arrival, the VP was greeted by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03)

VP Pool Report #3 / Arrival at church

Motorcade arrived at 1pm at the Fountain Street Church. Pool didn't see the VP exiting.

There were a couple of protesters on the street with signs saying like „Free Gaza" and „Ceasefire now".

Pool is holding now in the second floor of the church. Next on the agenda: the round table with the pool spray on top which is scheduled for 2:45pm and will be livestreamed on http://whitehouse.gov/Live.

VP Pool Report #4 /

At 2:11pm, pool was led into a big room on the entry level with a U shaped table where the VP and the other nine attendees were already sitting.

In the back were three light blue boards that said „Trust women" and „Fight for reproductive rights".

Govenor Whitmer was welcoming the VP first. VP then spoke for about 8 minutes.

Some quotes:

„ Freedom is fundamental to the promise of America."

Remembered the Supreme Court ending „Roe v Wade" and added: „And since that ruling came down we have seen states across our country, thankfully not Michigan, but states across our country proposing and passing laws that criminalize doctors and nurses."

More quotes to come. Roundtable is still going on.

VP Pool Report #5 / More quotes

Pool was ushered out at 2:29pm. The discussion went on. Next to the roundtable on the right side, there were some chairs where some staffers were sitting. No other audience was in the room.

More quotes from VP Harris:

„Which means the so called leaders who are extremist are telling a survivor of a crime, of violence to someone's body, a survivor of a violation to their body that they, that survivors have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next, which in my opinion, is immoral. We know that on this issue the American people, the majority of American people agree with the leaders at this table."

…

„In states across our country, people have been suffering."

…

Referring to the verdict of the Supreme Court of Alabama two days ago she said:

„Individuals couples who want to start a family are now being deprived of access to what can help them start a family."

…

„Okay, how did this happen? And I would say, ask who's to blame? And I'll answer that question. When you look at the fact that the previous president of the United States was clear in his intention to hand pick three Supreme Court justices who would overturn the protections of Roe v Wade, and he did and that's what got us to this point today. And that same individual, the previous President of the United States, then openly talks about how he is proud of what has resulted, proud of the fact that doctors and nurses can be jailed for giving reproductive care, (…) proud of the fact that so many young women in America now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers."

VP Pool Report #6 / Roundtable participants

On Background from a White House Official:

ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS:

• Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

• Sommer Foster, Executive Director, Michigan Voices

• Amanda Mazur, Patient and Volunteer, ACLU of Michigan

• Rev. Christopher Roe, Senior Minister, Fountain Street Church

• Dr. Charita Roque, OB-GYN, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Western

Michigan University

• Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03)

• Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)

• Shanay Watson-Whittaker, Director of Michigan Campaigns, Reproductive Freedom

for All (Formerly NARAL)

VP Pool Report #7 / Rolling

Motorcade left the church at 3:57pm. We didn't see the VP entering her car. While driving away from the church, we saw 3 or 4 remaining protesters.

VP Pool Report #8 / Unannounced stop at a record store

Motorcade drove for 10 minutes through Grand Rapids and then stopped for an unannounced visit at a record store called „Della Soul Records", a small business owned by Della Marie Levi. Pool went in with VP. She talked a couple with the owner and looked at records.
Sending more soon.

VP Pool Report #9 / Reaction to Alabama

After 20 minutes, the VP left the store and came over to the pool. Asked what the government can do to support the women in Alabama, the VP said:

„The decision by the court in Alabama is shocking. And at the same time past the Dobbs' decision not surprising. I talked about it from the beginning when the Dobbs' decision came down that we were looking at what potentially would be the beginning of the erosion of so many fundamental rights in particular around reproductive freedom. And so we have seen that states around our country have taken everything from an individual's ability to make decisions about their own body to access to reproductive health care, limiting how people can get access to reproductive health care in very substantial ways. We've seen clinics closed and things of that nature. We have seen laws that would criminalize doctors and nurses provide up to prison for life for administering reproductive health care, and and we knew that IVF was always very much on the table."
Now „it has been attacked and access to reproductive health care through IVF is being taken from countless individuals, families."
…
„And the irony of it all is that on the one hand, these proponents are suggesting that an individual and a woman does not have the right to end an unwanted pregnancy and on the other hand does not have the right to become pregnant."
..
„So, I think that everyone should understand we each have a responsibility and the ability to change this trajectory and elections matter. President Biden has been very clear if Congress puts back in place the rights that the court took away that which means putting back in place the protections of Roe v Wade, Joe Biden will sign it. So elections matter."

VP Pool Report #10 / Back at airport

Motorcade arrived at the airport at 4:56pm. The VP boarded at 4:58pm. Soon on our way back to DC - and as you know without Wifi.

I also tweeted a picture of the VP in the record store (@berlin_juliane).

VP Pool Report #11 / Shopping

The VP also showed the pool what she had bought: a Miles Davis album, a doll of the funk musician George Clinton and „a couple of cards".

Wheels off at 5:11pm.

VP Pool Report #12 / Back at JBA

AF2 was wheels down at JBA at 6:38pm.

The VP walked out of AF2 at 6:49pm.

She waved to the pool, walked over to M2 and took off at 6:53pm.

While we were in the air, the VP's office sent this background:

Prior to departing Grand Rapids, the Vice President Harris made unannounced stop at small business and highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's continued commitment to supporting America's small businesses. She stopped at Della Soul Records, the first Black woman-owned vinyl record store in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and she purchased a few items, including Miles Davis' The Essentials and greeting cards.

That's a wrap on your pooler's first AF2 trip.

Enjoy your evening!