Americans Continue to Reject Dangerous and Extreme GOP Playbook that Restricts Freedoms and Bans Access to Abortion Care
People Are Speaking Out Against The Risks GOP-Sponsored Abortion Bans and Restrictions Pose to Their Communities
WASHINGTON — During last night’s Republican debate, candidates continued to double down on their support for a national abortion ban, despite this week’s victories for protecting abortion access in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia. Their continued support for a national abortion ban in the immediate aftermath of victories for abortion access shows just how wildly out of step Republicans are with a public that finds their playbook of restrictions on freedom and bans on abortion access deeply unpopular. New survey data in battleground states shows once again Republicans are “too extreme” and dangerously out of step with Americans’ attitudes towards abortion access across the country.
While Republicans continue to push harmful abortion bans they’re billing as “compromises,” constituents are rejecting their harmful agenda, with nearly 60% of those surveyed showing support for a federal law that protects safe and accessible abortion care across the country. Sixty-four percent of constituents in battleground states think abortion should be legal, and nearly two-thirds worry about Republicans passing even more severe restrictions should they be in a position governing to make that happen.
Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:
“This week, Republicans have once again demonstrated how deeply out of touch they are with Americans’ attitudes – including those in their own party – toward abortion access and personal freedom. On Tuesday, in states across the nation, Americans soundly rejected anti-choice politicians’ hostile and dangerous attacks on the freedom to make personal decisions about one’s health and future. Republicans' efforts to ban abortion are unwelcome and unpopular. Last night during the debate, Republicans mostly avoided the topic of abortion – a sign they know their views are out of step. But when the topic of abortion was raised, candidates offered Americans the same dangerous anti-abortion rhetoric: ramping up attacks on our personal freedom and expressing support for a national ban. We will continue to hold them accountable and work to elevate the voices of those most impacted by these egregious abortion bans.”
Free & Just is elevating and amplifying the voices of everyday people who are increasingly concerned about the impacts of abortion bans and restrictions. Here’s what they’re saying:
“Working under Georgia’s extreme six-week abortion ban has been devastating,” said Suki O, an ultrasound tech in Georgia for over 20 years. “I have had to console crying women in my office, including those who have been sexually assaulted, who have received a fatal fetal diagnosis, or who aren’t ready to be parents, after telling them I cannot provide them with the care they desperately want and need. Abortion bans harm patients’ health and put providers in impossible positions – that’s why people across the country are rejecting attacks on our reproductive freedom.”
“The decision to have an abortion saved my life, and I know the consequences firsthand of removing access to abortion services,” said Emma Burns, a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University living in Flagstaff, Arizona, who received a medication abortion while she was a college student. “Attacks on abortion care, like what we’re facing in Arizona, strip people of the agency over their bodies and their futures. I want these candidates to understand that everyone should have the freedom to make the best decisions for their lives and their futures.”
“If I had carried my pregnancy to term, I would have put my own health at risk, and if my baby survived to term, she would only have suffered. That’s why I made the decision to end my pregnancy,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, a former Labor and Delivery nurse based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who received an abortion later in pregnancy prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “Each pregnancy is unique and everyone should have that same freedom to make the decision that’s best for themselves and their families – without interference from politicians.”
If you would like to interview Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods or one of our storytellers for a story, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
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About Free & Just
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.
