Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 16, 2022

VP Philly Local Pool Report 1

VP landed at 10:30 am. at an air filed field at the Philadelphia International Airport on an extremely muggy summer morning. She was greeted by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

After a brief conversation between the two, motorcade departed for first stop –the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden neighborhood – by 10:42 a.m.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 2

Background on today's visit from the White House

On background from a White House Official

Meeting with Legislators on Reproductive Rights

• Today, Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to meet with approximately 40 state legislators to discuss reproductive rights. The Vice President will be joined by several members of Congress and other leaders.
• During the meeting, the Vice President will convey the Administration's commitment to protecting access to reproductive health care, including abortion access, and the Vice President will encourage the legislators to continue fighting to protect reproductive rights in Pennsylvania.
• The convening of Pennsylvania state legislators follows meetings about reproductive rights that the Vice President has held with health care providers, faith leaders, constitutional law and privacy experts, advocates, State Attorneys General, and state legislators from across the country. Vice President Harris most recently traveled to Orlando, Florida on Thursday, June 14, where she met with state legislators to discuss reproductive rights.

Reproductive Rights in Pennsylvania

• Currently, abortion in Pennsylvania is legal through the early stages of pregnancy or if the patient's life or health is in danger. The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania state legislature is seeking to override Governor Wolf's efforts to protect abortion rights for patients in the state and those potentially traveling from out of state.
• On July 8, 2022, the Republican-controlled General Assembly took the first step to bypass Gov. Wolf's veto power ability by approving a constitutional amendment that could clear the way for a statewide abortion ban in the future.
• The proposed constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania states that: "there is no constitutional right to taxpayer-funded abortion or other right relating to abortion."
• The next step for the constitutional amendment is that it must be approved again by both houses of the General Assembly at their next legislative session, which will take place after the November elections. If they do so, the amendment could be on ballots as early as the May 2023 primaries.

The Vice President's Record on Fighting for the Health, Safety, and Wellbeing of Women

• Vice President Harris has spent her career fighting for the health, safety, and wellbeing of women. She is playing a leading role championing and protecting reproductive rights. She forcefully spoke out about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and she will continue to make the case for protecting reproductive health care access and the right to privacy.
• The Vice President is a longtime champion of protecting reproductive rights.
  • As California Attorney General, the Vice President signed onto multiple amicus briefs to ensure women have full access to their reproductive health care.
  • Also as Attorney General of California, Vice President Harris created the Privacy Enforcement and Protection Unit to protect consumer and individual privacy through civil prosecution of those who violate state and federal privacy laws.
• The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic commitments to advancing gender equality, including standing up the White House's first-ever Gender Policy Council, dedicated to driving a whole-of-government effort that is advancing gender equity and equality, from championing women's access to high quality and equitable health care; to women's rights, equal opportunities and pay, equal protection, and safety from gender-based harassment and violence. Last week the President signed an Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services, and the Administration is leading a whole of government approach to addressing this health care crisis.

Speakers at today's meeting:

• Rep. Joanna McClinton, House Minority Leader
• Congressman Dwight Evans, D-PA-3
• Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, D-PA-5
• Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, D-PA-4
• Rep. Mary Jo Daley, Women's Health Caucus Co-Chair
• Sen. Maria Collett, Senate Democrats Caucus Secretary
• Rep. Morgan Cephas, Women's Health Caucus Co-Chair
• Sen. Katie Muth, Senate Democrats Chair of the Policy Committee

VP Philly Local Pool Report 3

VP’s motorcade arrived at the the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters union hall in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden neighborhood at 11:05 a.m. to a crowd of onlookers from the surrounding residential neighborhood snapping photos on their phones.

Here, she will be participating shortly with in a roundtable discussion on abortion rights with roughly 40 state lawmakers as well as members of Congress, per White House.

Meeting room currently closed to press to press, but pool spray to follow at roughly 11:45. Per White House, the Vice President will convey the Administration’s commitment to protecting access to reproductive health care, including abortion access and the encourage the legislators to continue fighting to protect reproductive rights in Pennsylvania.

Speakers, per White House, include:

• Rep. Joanna McClinton, PA House Minority Leader
• Congressman Dwight Evans, D-PA-3
• Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, D-PA-5
• Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, D-PA-4
• State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, Women’s Health Caucus Co-Chair
• State Sen. Maria Collett, Senate Democrats Caucus Secretary
• State Rep. Morgan Cephas, Women’s Health Caucus Co-Chair
  State Rep.Katie Muth, Senate Democrats Chair of the Policy Committee

Earlier this month, Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would explicitly state that the state constitution does not guarantee any rights related to abortion. It would need to pass a second legislative session and a statewide public vote in order to pass.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 4

In pool spray in advance of discussion w/ roughly 40 state lawmakers, members of PA's congressional delegation and other leaders, VP emphasized the administration's commitment to codify the protections formerly provided by Roe v. Wade into law – not only at the federal level, but also at state legislatures.

She thanked those gathered as well as some not present – including PA Gov. Tom Wolf and PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro -- for their efforts on that front so far: "I know you're fighting against great odds, and you're undeterred and you're standing in defense of these most fundamental rights."

She also linked the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson to efforts to restrict voting rights: "Where you're seeing efforts to restrict a woman's rights to make decisions about their own body, that same source is trying to restrict voting rights. … The source of a lot of this is an agenda to restrict the rights of the Amercan people."

VP also addressed importance of state's upcoming US Senate race pitting Democrat nominee John Fetterman against GOP nominee Mehmet Oz, stressing the administration's ability to move its agenda through Congress hangs on the outcome of this and other Senate races.

"The Senate race here in Pennsylvania is directly connected," she said. "The president and I have been very clear, of all these senate races, we need two more. Pennsylvania can help contribute that."

Those who addressed the VP during pool spray included:
State Rep. Joanna McClinton, PA House Minority Leader
· Congressman Dwight Evans, D-PA-3
· Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, D-PA-5
· Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, D-PA-4
· State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, Women's Health Caucus Co-Chair
· State Sen. Maria Collett, Senate Democrats Caucus Secretary
· State Rep. Morgan Cephas, Women's Health Caucus Co-Chair
· State Sen. Katie Muth, Senate Democrats Chair of the Policy Committee

Many of those in attendance raised the issue of the proposed constitutional amendment Pennsylvania Republicans moved through the General Assembly on June 8. It would change the text of the document to explicitly say the state constitution does not provide any rights related to abortion.

Daley, one to the state reps to address the VP, said:"Republican leaders are saying this is not a ban – but it sure does open the door for a ban. "

The panel discussion now continuing, closed to press, for roughly next 40 minutes.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 5

VP left the Philadelphia office of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters at 1:16 pm,, with crowd of neighbors and onlookers from surrounding residential neighborhood waiting outside to snap photos of her motorcade.

En route to next stop, which is listed as TBA on schedule. VP staff has declined to say where that stop will be or the purpose of the trip – only that it’s about 10 min away from our current location.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 6

VP has arrived at the Samuel Staten Jr. Building of the Laborer's District Council on North Broad Street, where she is now making a surprise visit at a campaign stop for Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the current Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania governor. They are addressing members of "All In Pennsylvania," a Democratic organizing group supporting Shapiro and Fetterman.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 7

VP departed the Samuel Staten Jr. Building Laborer’s District Council training center in N. Philly at 1:47.

While there, she addressed campaign volunteers for All-In Pennsylvania, a Democratic organizing group working on behalf of Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania governor, and John Fetterman, the party’s U.S. Sen. Candidate.

To a room of cheering volunteers, she stressed the importance of their work in ensuring Democratic victories in the governor, U.S. Senate, and state legislature races.

VP Philly Local Pool Report 8

VP arrived back at Philadelphia International Airport at 2 pm and reboarded plane after briefly pausing for for photos on tarmac with advance staff.