6/25/24
On Two-Year Anniversary of SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade, New Ads Highlight Devastating Impact on Families Across the Country
Seven figure ad buy in Wisconsin and Ohio warns that extremist lawmakers will not stop until they pass a national abortion ban
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Free & Just is marking the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to take away nationwide abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade with new radio and TV ads in Wisconsin and Ohio highlighting how abortion bans and attacks on reproductive freedom are harming real people across the country. The spots, which feature storytellers impacted by attacks on abortion access, warn that extremist lawmakers remain committed to passing a national abortion ban, and will stop at nothing to take away our rights – even though it remains widely unpopular.
Over the past two years, attacks on reproductive freedom have escalated since the Supreme Court eliminated national abortion rights protections. These include recent efforts to restrict IVF access and potential bans on life-saving care for women in crisis. The vast majority of Americans support reproductive freedom and abortion access, despite the decimation of the right to access abortion by the conservative Supreme Court, including three Trump-appointed justices. Polling shows that 61% of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and a majority of Americans (8 in 10) say that the decision to have an abortion should be between a woman and their doctor.
Following the launch of the ads, patients and providers from across the country, including those featured in the new ads, released statements on the status of abortion access since the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and ongoing attacks on reproductive freedom.
“For a long time, I paid little attention to the debate around access to abortion. I didn’t feel like it affected me personally, and it’s easy to tune out. But, my perspective on abortion changed when I had to travel out of state for abortion care,” said Megan Kling, a mom from rural Wisconsin who chose to end her pregnancy following a devastating fatal, fetal diagnosis. “I chose abortion out of love for myself, love for my family, and pure love for my baby boy. I want every woman across the country to be able to make the right decision for themselves, too.”
“As parents, nothing could have prepared us for the shock of learning that our daughter was sent home from the hospital when she needed urgent medical care,” said Mike and Cheri Eid, whose daughter Amanda Zurawski nearly died after she was denied emergency abortion care in 2022, shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. “The past two years have been a nightmare for families like ours. For Amanda, and for every other person affected by the onerous, poorly conceived and implemented state laws that followed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, we must stop these cruel, anything but ‘pro-life’ abortion bans.”
“Abortion care is a critical part of high-risk pregnancy care,” said Dr. Nicole Teal, a maternal fetal medicine specialist from North Carolina who relocated to San Diego, California, where she can provide the full spectrum of reproductive care for her patients. “Abortion bans put doctors like me in impossible situations and severely undermine the care we’re trained to provide our patients. My heart breaks for the communities left with limited access to care because anti-abortion lawmakers drove them out of state.”
“I was one month into my pregnancy when Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, and I knew that women like me, who were carrying very wanted pregnancies, would be affected,” said Anne Angus, a Montana woman who was forced to travel out of state for abortion care after her baby was diagnosed with Eagle-Barrett syndrome. “Losing my pregnancy was traumatic, but IVF has given me hope that my husband and I can have a healthy pregnancy as we try to grow our family. But extremist lawmakers were never going to stop at overturning Roe, and now I have to worry about whether I will even be able to continue treatment, as attacks on reproductive freedom escalate.”
“Here in Georgia, extremists are going out of their way to threaten and attack people seeking abortion care,” Suki O, an ultrasound tech who has practiced in Georgia for over twenty years. “The last two years have been incredibly challenging, but my patients are heroes, and I am proud to care for them no matter what.”
“Abortion bans hurt all of us, no matter where we live,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Today, we await a decision in Idaho and Moyle, et al. v. United States, the case that could put lifesaving emergency care out of reach for women across the country. That case – and countless others – is only being heard because the Supreme Court ripped away the fundamental right to make medical decisions with their family and their doctor, and without the meddling of politicians. Now more than ever, we must amplify the voices of people whose lives were changed forever by the Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade so that we can stop further attacks on our freedoms.”
You can listen to the ad featuring Megan Kling from Wisconsin here, and watch the ads featuring the Eids here and here.
If you are interested in speaking with any of the storytellers quoted above, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.
