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Free & Just Hosts Press Call Marking One Month of Trump Presidency, Highlighting Statewide Abortion Bans and Impacted Storytellers
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Local Patient Advocates Mark Would-Be Roe Anniversary, Warn of Coming Attacks on Reproductive Freedom
“Ride to Decide” Bus Tour Kickoff in Madison, Brings Together Religious Leaders, Health Care Providers, and Patient Advocates to Spotlight Harms of Abortion Bans
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Free & Just Condemns Criminalization of Georgia Woman’s Miscarriage While State Legislature Moves Legislation to Classify Abortion as Homicide
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2025
Contact: Malachi White, malachi@freeandjust.us
Free & Just Condemns Criminalization of Georgia Woman’s Miscarriage While State Legislature Moves Legislation to Classify Abortion as Homicide
24-year-old, Selena Maria Chandler Scott, found unconscious and bleeding still sits in jail for criminalized miscarriage.
WASHINGTON, DC –– This week, law enforcement arrested Selena Maria Chandler Scott, 24, after she suffered a miscarriage. She is being wrongfully charged with “concealing the death of another person” and “throwing away or abandonment of a dead body” due to Georgia’s extreme anti-abortion laws. She is currently in jail.
Between 10% and 20% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Meanwhile, instead of pushing efforts to prioritize the health and safety of women and patients in Georgia, Republicans are moving another extreme bill (HB 441) that would be a total ban on abortion — going even further than what is current state law. This showcases the fact that Republican lawmakers care more about infringing people’s rights than ensuring the wellbeing of patients seeking care. As of today, Republican lawmakers across ten states including Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho and North Dakota, have introduced legislation that aims to charge pregnant women with homicide if they seek out or receive abortion care.
“My daughter waited 20 hours for emergency care and ultimately lost her life. I don’t want another mother to experience the loss I have suffered,” said Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman lost her life in Georgia after being denied timely medical care due to the state’s abortion ban. “Arresting people who experience miscarriages will not keep women and families safe in Georgia.”
“I have been an ultrasound tech in Georgia for 20 years, and what is happening to Ms. Scott and others like her is inhumane and unbecoming of our country,” said Suki O, an ultrasound technician who helps abortion patients in the Atlanta area. “I’ve seen first-hand the impact of the Dobbs decision on my patients, many of whom have had miscarriages or other tragic situations due to fetal anomalies, ectopic pregnancies, or simply not having access to timely medical care when they need it most. What is happening to Ms. Scott is an injustice and abuse of a law that already infringes greatly on the rights of women in Georgia.”
“Abortion bans in a post Roe world are not only killing women, but also criminalizing women who lack access to lifesaving care even after having a miscarriage. People across the country are enduring devastating loss and fear because of ongoing attacks on access to reproductive health care, and there is no excuse for the trauma inflicted on these people, including Selena,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Abortion bans are killing women and instead of working to protect families, lawmakers are going out of their way to punish pregnant women who are already grieving devastating losses. What’s happening to this young woman is a reflection of the priorities of extreme anti-abortion legislators in Georgia and across the country.”
If you are interested in speaking with Shanette Williams and Suki O about their experiences in Georgia, or other storytellers living in Georgia regarding living in a post Roe world, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. If you are interested in learning more about the research gathered regarding state-level abortion bans and federal activity, please contact malachi@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.
STATEMENT: Free & Just Responds to CDC Nominee Withdrawal, Demands Director Who Will Protect Women’s Health
For Immediate Release
March 13, 2025
Contact: Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us
Free & Just Responds to CDC Nominee Withdrawal, Demands Director Who Will Protect Women’s Health
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, just minutes before President Trump’s nominee to serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anti-abortion extremist, David Weldon, was set to appear before the Senate HELP Committee, the administration announced that Weldon’s nomination had been withdrawn.
This week, Free & Just exposed David Weldon as a radical anti-abortion extremist with a long and dangerous record of limiting access to care. Weldon’s withdrawal means the Trump administration has another opportunity to nominate a leader who will play a critical role in safeguarding Americans’ health – including the health of women seeking reproductive care.
Following the announcement that Weldon’s nomination had been withdrawn, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“President Trump’s cabinet is already jam-packed with anti-abortion extremists like Attorney General Pam Bondi and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the last thing Americans want or need is another appointee who will weaponize the federal government to restrict access to reproductive health care nationwide. Abortion bans are killing women across the country, and Americans need a leader at the CDC who can be trusted with sensitive data and will protect women’s health – not put more lives at risk.”
If you are interested in learning more about the extremists in Trump’s cabinet, what’s at stake for abortion access, and how the Trump administration is working to ban abortion nationwide, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future.
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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.
Free & Just to Launch Mobile Billboard Exposing CDC Nominee David Weldon’s Anti-Abortion Extremism, Urging Senators to Oppose Confirmation
**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 13 FROM 8AM-4PM ET**
Free & Just to Launch Mobile Billboard Exposing CDC Nominee David Weldon’s Anti-Abortion Extremism, Urging Senators to Oppose Confirmation
Weldon’s dangerous record to be exposed at confirmation hearing Thursday
WASHINGTON, DC –– On Thursday, March 13, Free & Just is launching a mobile billboard exposing David Weldon, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as a radical anti-abortion extremist unfit to lead this important federal agency. Weldon will appear before the Senate HELP Committee for a hearing on Thursday at 10am ET.
President Trump’s cabinet is jam-packed with anti-abortion extremists like Attorney General Pam Bondi and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and together, with David Weldon as head of the CDC, these appointees could exploit the power of the federal government to ban abortion nationwide.
The mobile billboard will travel around Capitol Hill during Weldon’s confirmation hearing from 8AM–4PM ET (see route below).
Contact Kelly Rimar (kelly@freeandjust.us) for questions or more information.
Abortion bans are killing women and devastating communities across the country. Instead of taking steps to protect families, Trump and extremists like David Weldon want to roll back our rights even further. The Senate must prioritize the health and safety of women across the country by opposing the confirmation of David Weldon as CDC director.
WHAT: Mobile billboard circulating around Capitol Hill during David Weldon’s confirmation hearing
WHEN: Thursday, March 13 from 8am-4pm ET
WHERE: Billboard to travel around Capitol Hill (see route below)
*ICYMI* Free & Just Launches Digital Ads Highlighting Trump Administration’s New Attack on Access to Lifesaving Emergency Care
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2025
Contact: Malachi White, malachi@freeandjust.us
Free & Just Launches Digital Ads Highlighting Trump Administration’s New Attack on Access to Lifesaving Emergency Care
Six-figure ad buy in Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin spotlights deadly implications of the Trump administration’s move to limit access to emergency care
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Free and Just launched new digital ads responding to the Trump administration abandoning the legal challenge to Idaho’s ban on emergency abortion care. The six-figure digital buy in Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin educates Americans about the decision that puts millions of patients and families at risk and the lives of women in the hands of extremist politicians.
You can watch the ad here.
“Last week, just hours before the President’s joint address to Congress, the Trump administration quietly launched a deadly new attack on abortion access which could leave millions of women across the country without access to lifesaving medical care,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Abortion bans hurt all of us, no matter where we live, and they are a horrific example of government overreach that gets in the way of lifesaving care for women. The Trump administration has already shown us that they are using every tool at their disposal to restrict or ban abortion nationwide. These ads spotlight how this administration's extreme anti-abortion agenda puts the lives of millions of women at risk. Abortion bans are killing women, and instead of focusing on protecting access to lifesaving medical care, extreme politicians in the White House and Congress are working to roll back patient’s rights even further.”
Protecting abortion rights and expanding access to care has never been more universally popular, uniting Americans of all race, gender, socio-economic status, geography, and political affiliations. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) is a federal law that requires hospitals to provide emergency medical treatment to anyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. Importantly, this includes emergency abortion care when a pregnancy threatens a patient's life or health. The administration's decision to drop this legal challenge could allow states to restrict emergency abortion care even when medically necessary to save a patient's life. Surveys have found that while only 15% of people had heard a lot or some about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the protections guaranteed by the law are overwhelmingly popular. Still, despite the popularity of access to abortion care, the Trump administration continues to attack access to this lifesaving emergency care.
If you are interested in speaking with healthcare providers or patients about their experience living in a post Roe world, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. If you are interested in learning more about the research gathered regarding state-level abortion bans and federal activity, please contact malachi@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.
BREAKING: Trump Administration Abandons Legal Challenge to Idaho Abortion Ban, Jeopardizing Access to Lifesaving Medical Care Across the Country
For Immediate Release
March 5, 2025
Contact: Kelly Rimar, kelly@freeandjust.us
BREAKING: Trump Administration Abandons Legal Challenge to Idaho Abortion Ban, Jeopardizing Access to Lifesaving Medical Care Across the Country
Abortion bans are killing women – the Department of Justice is putting millions more lives at risk
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, the Trump administration abandoned the legal challenge to Idaho’s abortion ban regarding the right to emergency abortion care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). This move from the Department of Justice, which was announced hours before President Trump’s joint address to Congress in an apparent attempt to hide it from the American public, further demonstrates the Trump administration's intent to ban and restrict abortion nationwide putting more women’s lives in danger, regardless of the many patients and families who depend on this medically-necessary, lifesaving care across the country.
Free & Just is launching a six-figure digital buy in Wisconsin, Georgia, and Texas to educate Americans about this under-the-radar move by the Trump administration that puts millions of patients and families at risk and the lives of women in the hands of extremist politicians.
The reality is that at least one-third of women will go to the emergency room during their pregnancies, as pregnancy complications can be life-threatening - regardless of the disinformation being touted by anti-abortion extremists. After Idaho began enforcing the ban on emergency abortion care in January 2024, at least six patients with severe pregnancy complications were airlifted out of state to receive emergency care in the following three months.
Protecting abortion rights and expanding access to care has never been more universally popular, uniting Americans of all race, gender, socio-economic status, geography, and political affiliations. Surveys have found that while only 15% of people had heard a lot or some about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the protections guaranteed by the law are overwhelmingly popular even after a simple description. Still, despite the popularity of access to abortion care, the Trump administration continues to attack access to this lifesaving care.
In response to the Trump administration and Department of Justice’s decision, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“This week, with much of the country distracted by President Trump’s joint address before Congress, the Department of Justice quietly greenlit another deadly attack on access to lifesaving abortion care. The administration's decision to abandon the challenge to Idaho’s abortion ban empowers extremists across the country, and leaves patients and providers at risk. Abortion bans are killing women, and instead of taking steps to protect access to lifesaving medical care, Trump and Republican officials are working behind-the-scenes to roll back our rights even further. Today’s decision confirms that the Trump administration is committed to banning abortion nationwide at the risk of patients’ lives.”
Following the DOJ’s filing to dismiss the case, emergency medicine physicians and patient storytellers from Idaho and across the country released statements highlighting how the administration’s decision puts lives at risk.
“Idaho is not a safe place to be pregnant, and this move from Trump’s Department of Justice confirms that attacks on access to care will only continue to escalate,” said Kayla Smith, who was forced to flee the state of Idaho for lifesaving abortion care after the state’s extreme abortion ban took effect. “I am heartbroken and outraged for the people of Idaho, who could soon find themselves forced to travel out-of-state for lifesaving medical care like my family was.” Smith is one of three plaintiffs in Adkins v. State of Idaho, a case challenging the state’s abortion ban.
"All Americans, including those in Idaho, deserve better than extremist policies that make standard medical care illegal," said Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, a family physician and President of the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare Foundation. “The Trump administration is going out of its way to make our jobs as doctors more difficult, and undermining the care we are able to provide to our patients. Politicizing lifesaving medical care is dangerous and it is wrong. Our lawmakers need to focus on making healthcare safer and more accessible, not less.”
“For decades, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) has guaranteed that emergency medicine physicians like me can provide appropriate care to every patient we treat – the Trump administration is trying to change that,” said Dr. Sophia Spadafore, an Emergency Medicine physician practicing in New York City. “I am fearful for my patients, for my colleagues, and for every person who could soon find themselves turned away from the ER and unable to access the care they need.”
If you are interested in speaking with any of the storytellers quoted above, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future.
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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.
Free & Just Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address
For Immediate Release
March 5, 2025
Contact: Malachi White, malachi@freeandjust.us
WASHINGTON D.C. – Last night, the issue of abortion was notably absent from President Donald Trump’s Joint Address. The failure to mention the issue of abortion was notable at a time when the Trump administration has ramped up attacks on reproductive freedom, largely due to the policy agenda of anti-abortion extremists seeking to further ban or restrict abortion across the country. One in seven women in states with abortion bans say they, or someone they know, has had difficulty accessing an abortion due to restrictions in their state since Roe was overturned. Now that anti-abortion extremists control the White House and Congress, it’s more important than ever that everyone understands what’s at stake when it comes to abortion access and reproductive freedom in this country.
In response Trump’s remark at today’s State of the Union address, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“Despite the fact that Trump continues to pretend that banning abortion isn’t on his agenda, he and his extremist colleagues in Congress have a clear record of pushing an anti-abortion agenda that would gut reproductive health care for so many patients and families across the country. Abortion bans hurt all of us – no matter where we live and who we are. Extremist rhetoric and fearmongering of the facts surrounding abortion access and reproductive health care is why states are continuing to push anti-abortion laws through state legislatures, MAGA Republicans in Congress continue to advance an extreme agenda to restrict access to abortion care, and the Administration takes steps to implement Project 2025. As extremist politicians continue to push dangerous anti-abortion policies, we must be clear about the grave implications of this post Roe reality and how it will have a detrimental impact on patients and providers nationwide.”
If you are interested in speaking with health care providers or patients about their experience living in a post Roe world, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. If you are interested in learning more about the research gathered regarding state-level abortion bans and federal activity, please contact malachi@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.
Ahead of Trump’s Address, Senator Patty Murray, Former Rep. Colin Allred, and Guests Who Attended 2024 State of the Union Spotlight Vicious New Attacks on Abortion Access and Reproductive Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, ahead of President Trump’s joint address to Congress, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and former Rep. Colin Allred joined Free & Just, patients, providers, and advocates who attended last year’s State of the Union as honored guests to set the record straight about how the Trump administration and extremists' efforts to ban abortion nationwide are putting lives at risk.
Abortion bans are killing women and devastating communities across the country. Still, the Trump administration and Republican officials remain committed to banning abortion nationwide, and they will use any tool at their disposal to do it – even though restricting abortion access remains widely unpopular with most Americans.
“It is painfully clear today that we have to continue shining a harsh spotlight on the impacts of abortion bans,” said Senator Patty Murray of Washington. “While Trump and Republicans would love for the chaos they are causing to push these stories out of the public eye, today there are even more women suffering and dying because of Republican’s extreme abortion bans. It may be the early days of this administration, but it is not too early to see that they are hellbent on ripping away women’s reproductive rights.”
“Within days of Trump taking office, he rescinded President Biden’s executive orders that protect reproductive health care, he wiped essential information about these health care services from government websites, and he nominated a slew of anti-abortion extremists,” said Kayla Smith, a patient storyteller who joined Senator Murray as an honored guest at the State of the Union one year ago. “I am here today to do my part. I will continue to speak out about what is going on and how important access to abortion care really is,” Smith, who was forced to flee the state of Idaho for lifesaving abortion care, is one of three plaintiffs in Adkins v. State of Idaho, a case challenging the state’s extreme abortion ban.
“The ‘state of the union’ has a crisis in the middle of it. Women all across this country are being denied basic health care, and families are being forced into impossible positions," said former Congressman Colin Allred from Dallas. “Here in Texas, it’s not uncommon to meet an expecting couple and congratulate them only to hear that they are worried that if something goes wrong with the pregnancy, they don’t know what they’ll do.”
“We knew that because of the abortion bans, IVF could be affected, but we never thought it would affect us,” said Latorya Beasley, a mother and IVF patient from Alabama who was forced to adjust her treatment timeline after the state’s Supreme Court’s devastating ruling on embryos. “Even today, Trump has said that he wants to expand access to IVF, but it’s just a lot of broken promises, and I don’t think there’s anything substantial behind that. I am here today to tell my story and warn others.”
“As a physician, my highest priority and my deepest honor is to take care of my patients. And I feel like that has been broken in so many ways and is only getting worse,” said Dr, Caitlin Bernard, an OB-GYN from Indiana who spoke publicly about providing abortion care to a 10 year old patient. “The question we have now is, what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do to reverse these policies now before things get worse? How many more people do we have to see on the news dying, taken away from their children and families?”
“Let me be clear, President Trump may claim he’s protecting women but all that his policies have done is harm us. He will undoubtedly continue to enact policies that will kill women and devastate families,” said Amanda Zurawski, who nearly lost her life after being denied abortion care in Texas. “While we are devastated, we will not be defeated. As long as these inhumane bans exist, we will continue to fight back.” Zurawski was the lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. State of Texas, the landmark lawsuit challenging Texas’ extreme abortion ban.
If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
You can watch the virtual press event here, and learn more about how Republican officials are restricting reproductive freedom here.
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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.
ICYMI: Free & Just Hosts Press Call Marking One Month of Trump Presidency, Highlighting Statewide Abortion Bans and Impacted Storytellers
Watch the Full Press Event Here
WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Judy Chu (Ca-28) — Co-Chair and Liaison for the Reproductive Health Care Task Force for the Democratic Women’s Caucus — patient storytellers, healthcare providers, and advocates from communities across the country hosted a virtual press event one month after President Trump returned to the Oval Office to execute his anti-abortion agenda, as attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom continue to escalate across the country. Additionally, the event launched PostRoeReality.com, the latest resource from Free & Just tracking attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom across the country. Free & Just is also launching a five-figure digital buy in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Texas to uplift the research gathered in this latest resource.
Abortion bans hurt all of us – no matter where we live, and Free & Just is spotlighting what's at stake for communities across the country as the Trump administration seeks to roll back our rights even further.
In response to the new launching of PostRoeReality.com, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“Now that anti-abortion extremists control the White House and Congress, it’s more important than ever that everyone understands what’s at stake when it comes to abortion access and reproductive freedom in this country. As we mark one month since President Trump’s return to office, we must continue to highlight the dangerous impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe and the resulting Post Roe world by uplifting narratives of storytellers directly impacted by abortion bans and calling out the continued attacks on reproductive freedom across the country. These findings highlight the groundwork laid by MAGA extremists to push their unpopular agenda across the country before moving to achieve their ultimate Project 2025 goal — a national federal abortion ban.”
Here are highlights from today’s event:
“While running for president, Donald Trump promised that he would leave the issue of abortion to the states. Once again, when it comes to women’s health, Donald Trump was lying,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28), Democratic Women's Caucus Reproductive Health Care Task Force Co-Chair and Liaison. “Now more than ever, it’s important to amplify the stories of real people affected by these attacks and be clear about what’s at stake for communities across the country as the Trump administration seeks to roll back our rights even further.”
“As we’ve seen in the past thirty days, look at what Trump and his administration have done and are planning to do,” said Ryan Hamilton, whose wife was denied care in Texas. “It’s important for my daughter to have a future where she doesn’t bleed to death on her bathroom floor like her mom almost did.”
“These bans do not discriminate. They do not make allowances for the health of the mother or the baby. They assume a pregnancy is a blissful 9 months immune from complications and will always result in a living child,” said Gracie Ladd, a patient from Wisconsin who was forced to travel out-of-state for abortion care. “We need more storytellers. We need to amplify their voices. We need to protect their bodies and all future bodies.”
“It was the most agonizing decision I have ever had to make, and one that without question belonged to me and my doctors. Now, millions of women across the country no longer have that choice because of Donald Trump,” said Abby Klausner, a patient based in New York who had an abortion following her cancer diagnosis. “The right to make your own medical decisions, and the right to decide if and when to start a family – those rights are fundamental.”
“For so long I have naively thought of abortion as a singular issue – ‘it’s an individual’s decision.’ But that was my grave error – because abortion access has always been inexorably linked to the future of our democracy,” said Dr. Anusha Viswanathan, patient storyteller and health care provider based in Pennsylvania. “Because a country that can force someone to carry a pregnancy against their will is a country that can force them to do anything.”
“My state drove me out of my home, out of my community, away from my children, and away from my doctors, rather than let me access care,” said Kate Cox, who travelled out of state for care and was lead plaintiff in Cox v. Texas. “I’m just one person, we’re just one family, but our story is playing out in countless states across America. Because of these extreme abortion bans, women are going through the same nightmare I did.”
If you are interested in speaking with health care providers or patients about their experience living in a post Roe world, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us. If you are interested in learning more about the research gathered regarding state-level abortion bans, please contact malachi@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.
Shanette Williams, Mother of Amber Nicole Thurman Joins Patient Advocates and Health Care Providers to Spotlight How Abortion Bans Target Black Communities
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman lost her life as a result of Georgia’s abortion ban, patient storytellers, and health care providers from across the country joined Free & Just to spotlight how abortion bans disproportionately affect Black women and families. In the years since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, dozens of states have moved to ban abortion and restrict access to reproductive health care, with Black women bearing the heaviest burden of these attacks.
According to data from the National Partnership for Women & Families and In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, 57% of Black women ages 15 to 49 live in states with abortion bans or serious threats to abortion access.
The fall of Roe has also made pregnancy more dangerous, particularly for Black women. According to new data from the CDC's National Vital Statistics System, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than women from other racial and ethnic groups. The maternal mortality rate for every other race or ethnic group tracked in the report declined during the research period.
“Black maternal health is a crisis in this country. When it comes to reproductive health care — whether it's safe abortion care, prenatal care, or even just being listened to by a doctor — we are too often ignored, dismissed, and denied the care we need,” said Nancy Davis, an advocate from Louisiana who was forced to travel out-of-state to terminate a pregnancy after being denied care. “Black women deserve better, our voices matter, our lives matter, and we will not stop fighting until real change happens.” In 2022, Davis founded the Nancy Davis Foundation, which aids individuals who have endured trauma due to a prenatal developmental defect during pregnancy and advocates for reproductive justice.
“We’re putting lives at risk when we went to medical school to heal, not harm people. It makes sense that physicians are leaving places with abortion bans and restrictions because they cannot practice the full scope of the care they dedicated themselves to provide,” said Dr. DeShawn Taylor, an award-winning gynecologist and family planning specialist who owns the Desert Star Institute for Family Planning in Phoenix, Arizona. “Black women and babies have been most affected by adverse health outcomes in this country, but discrimination and lack of access to necessary health care has the potential to impact anyone.”
“I cannot tell you how devastating, heartbreaking, and painful losing my daughter has been – the remorse, the grief, has sometimes overwhelmed me,” said Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman lost her life in Georgia after being denied medical care. “You have women and mothers that are going through trauma, that are going through grief because politics are stopping women from making choices about their bodies.” Shanette continues to share Amber’s story in hopes that no other family will endure the loss of a loved one to an abortion ban. In November, following reporting from ProPublica, officials in Georgia dismissed all members of the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which investigates the deaths of pregnant women across the state.
If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
You can watch the virtual press event here, and learn more about how Republican officials plan to restrict reproductive freedom here.
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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.
Extremists in Congress Vote to Further Restrict Access to Abortion Across the Country, Criminalize Health Care Providers
For Immediate Release
January 23, 2025
Contact: Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us
While lawmakers peddle vicious lies, abortion bans are killing women across the country
WASHINGTON, DC –– This week, as we marked what would have been the 52nd anniversary of the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, the new Republican majority in Congress moved quickly to further restrict access to abortion care across the country. On Wednesday, extremists in the U.S. Senate voted to advance legislation that would subject health care providers to harsh criminal penalties and force providers to violate their medical training – even when patients face life-threatening pregnancy complications. On Thursday, 217 lawmakers in the U.S. House passed identical legislation, rife with false claims and dangerous lies about abortion care. Just weeks into the 119th Congress, Republican lawmakers sent a clear message to the American people: Abortion and reproductive freedom are under attack.
Following the votes this week, Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“This week, extremist lawmakers in Congress confirmed that banning abortion nationwide and restricting access to reproductive health care is their top priority – even if it costs people their lives. Spreading disinformation about abortion care and the people who seek it is dangerous. These lawmakers are overstepping their role by trying to interfere in our personal, private, medical decisions, and they are hurting real people and families. One-size-fits-all laws don’t work and we know that most Americans, including many who support President Trump and Republican lawmakers, do not want to see our reproductive rights rolled back even further, and this effort to pass radical new restrictions is nothing short of a betrayal.”
If you are interested in speaking with health care providers like Dr. Dara Kass, or patients affected by attacks on abortion access and reproductive freedom, 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.