Two events in the news this week brought a sense of urgency to the fund-raising dinner Tuesday night held by the Republican Majority for Choice. In Washington, Chief Justice Rehnquist closed the most recent session of the Supreme Court without any indication of when he will retire from the bench. If a slot opens, the Roe v. Wade abortion decision could be overturned.

In Albany, Governor Pataki has a bill on his desk that would make emergency contraception available without a prescription. He has just a few days to sign it into law.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg mentioned Mr. Pataki’s decision.

“I hope the governor will sign the bill about emergency contraception,” he said in his address. “Call him. He has only a few days to make this decision.”

The Republican Majority for Choice is closely following developments in both capitals. After all, these days it seems that decisions affecting a woman’s access to abortion rest largely in the hands of Republicans.

What is the group’s point of view? “There is no question Roe v. Wade is in real jeopardy,” its co-chairwoman, Jennifer Stockman, wife of the former Reagan aide David Stockman, told 250 guests.

As the name reflects, the group says it represents the majority of Republicans in its advocacy of a woman’s right to abortion. In a survey it conducted, it found that 73% of Republicans support legalized abortion. It traces its support of legalized abortion to the founding fathers’ belief in minimal government intrusion in a person’s private life.

The group monitors court nominees and appointments to protect Roe v. Wade and provides financial support to candidates who support access to abortion. Candidates it is supporting in midterm elections include Mr. Bloomberg; Russ Potts, who is running for governor of Virginia; and Doug Forrester, who is running for governor of New Jersey.

As conservative voices have gained prominence in the party, the group has found itself broadening its agenda to promote awareness of those Republicans it regards as moderates. One elected representative perfectly in tune with the group is Mr. Bloomberg, who promised the crowd he would do everything in his power to protect a woman’s right to abortion.

“As the father of two daughters, you can be sure I will fight for their rights and for every women, to have access to abortion,” he said. “A woman’s right to choose is a fundamental human right.”

He also shared statistics about pregnancies in New York City. Last year, there were 205,000 pregnancies, 130,000 of them unintended, and more than 90,000 resulted in abortion, the mayor said.

“What we have to do is reduce unintended pregnancies,” Mr. Bloomberg said. He praised the city’s health department for its campaign to raise awareness of emergency contraception, noting that one-third of women in America don’t know that the “morning-after pill” exists.

The Republican Majority for Choice presented awards to a former state senator from Manhattan, Roy Goodman, and his wife, Barbara – who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary that day – and to a stalwart of the Republican party in Pennsylvania, Elsie Hillman.

Mr. Goodman acknowledged several of his childhood friends in the room, including James Marcus, Larry Leeds, and John Rosenwald, and thanked all of them for helping him woo Barbara, whom he met at a mixer at Harvard.

“I went to this Radcliffe party as a reporter for the Crimson,” he recalled. “As soon as I met Barbara, I dropped my pad and pencil, and it’s been 50 years of connubial bliss.”

It was a recollection with a hint of sadness in it, since his wife is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. He had visited earlier “to give her a present and a spectacular summer arrangement of flowers,” his daughter Leslie Goodman said.

Ms. Hillman confessed that she first got into politics because she was in love with Eisenhower. That superficial reason was soon replaced by a passion for the issues.

“The exciting part is being able to be part of a movement. I’m excited about being in this room. I don’t know all of you, but I love all of you,” Ms. Hillman said. Later, her husband, Henry Hillman, explained how they maintain connubial bliss: “She keeps out of my business, I keep out of her politics.”

Attending the event were several members of the Republican Majority for Choice board, such as a former investment banker, Dorothy Sprague, its co-chairwoman, Dina Merrill, and a former chairwoman, Susan Cullman.

The program listed Henry Buhl, Stephen Schwarzman, John Whitehead, Gail Hilson, and Martin Gruss as event benefactors.