What They’re Saying About… Life in Post-Dobbs America

Personal Stories Highlight the Destructive and Extreme Republican Anti-abortion Agenda that is Banning Access to Care and Putting Lives at Risk

WASHINGTON — Following the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the avalanche of abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican lawmakers and politicians across the country, the Free & Just campaign began elevating the voices of advocates, doctors, patients, and faith leaders to describe what life is like in post-Dobbs America. Republicans in state houses, on Capitol Hill, where they’re led by anti-abortion Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as those running for higher office, continue to push an extreme anti-abortion agenda that is out of touch with the majority of people who support a federal law that protects safe and accessible abortion care nationwide. As more people worry about the dangers and risks these abortion bans and restrictions pose in their communities, they’re speaking out and fighting back. These are a few of those stories.  

Wisconsin OB-GYN Dr. Kristin Lyerly: “I have witnessed how dangerous and heartbreaking it is for my patients when politics interferes with my ability to do my job and prevents me from providing the full spectrum of abortion care.” 

“Since Wisconsin’s near-total ban on abortion was reinstated after the fall of Roe, I have witnessed how dangerous and heartbreaking it is for my patients when politics interferes with my ability to do my job and prevents me from providing the full spectrum of abortion care that I once could. I have counseled patients on family planning throughout my career and understand abortion as both a deeply personal decision and medically necessary procedure that must be protected. People have abortions for various reasons, and all are choices they should have the freedom to make.

“Some of the patients I counseled were already parents and could not afford to raise another child. Others faced dangerous complications or learned their child would not survive after birth. No one should make these difficult, highly individualized decisions but the person who is pregnant, their doctor, and the people they love and trust.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Abortion restrictions could be even worse under new House Speaker Mike Johnson, Opinion, 11/14/23)

AMSA President Rohini Kousalya Siva: “I can’t help but struggle with the fear that I may face violent threats–even death threats–and relentless attacks on my medical and ethical integrity.”

“I did not spend four years working hard in medical school to deprive myself as a resident of these essential learning opportunities. I worry that one of the many ripple effects of overturning Roe is how it undermines the education of a generation of medical students across the country.

“While I want to be excited about the career ahead of me, I can’t help but struggle with the fear that I may face violent threats–even death threats–and relentless attacks on my medical and ethical integrity with little institutional support from organizations like the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology.” (Ms. Magazine: I’m an Aspiring OB-GYN. Here Is Why I Won’t Do My Residency in Any State With an Abortion Ban. 8/10/23)

Arizona OB-GYN Dr. DeShawn Taylor: I should be able to use the skills I spent years learning … to help my patients and shouldn’t have to fear “criminalization for providing that care.”

“My own clinic paused services for three weeks and currently operates at a reduced capacity under Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban. The state Supreme Court is now even reconsidering a law from 1864, before Arizona was a state, that would completely ban legal abortion and allow up to five years in prison for abortion providers. I should be able to use the skills I spent years learning in medical school, residency, and fellowship to help my patients and shouldn’t have to fear criminalization for providing that care.

“I took an oath to care for those in need to the best of my ability. The laws proposed and supported by Speaker Mike Johnson would make that impossible. When doctors are banned from fulfilling their most basic functions, patients’ lives are at risk.” (Copper Courier: Speaker Johnson threatens my ability to do my job. If he gets his way, I’ll wind up in prison. 11/14/23)

New Hampshire Child Care Worker Amanda D’Angelo: “I want lawmakers to understand that abortion bans punish those who are already suffering and make the trauma of a fatal diagnosis for your baby even worse.”

“I knew that I could not handle the physical and mental trauma of watching my baby suffer with no chance of survival, and I knew what the right decision for me was. If I’d been forced to carry my pregnancy to term, I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to be a mom to my 10-month-old son, Jacob, today…

“Knowing that women in my position in 2023 might not have the freedom to have an abortion because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade one year ago haunts me. Even in states like New Hampshire, where abortion access is currently protected, our reproductive freedom remains under attack… I want lawmakers to understand that abortion bans punish those who are already suffering and make the trauma of a fatal diagnosis for your baby even worse. (Union Leader: Amanda D'Angelo: My abortion was the right decision for me and my baby. 7/13/23)

Arizona Activist Emma Burns: “We need to advocate for medication abortions in Arizona and across the country, as this procedure is not only life-saving but life-affirming.”

“As a 19-year-old college student already struggling, finding out you’re pregnant with twins is akin to submerging underwater. The world falls silent, and your only thought is of survival. I knew the only way for me to move forward would be to terminate my pregnancy. But due to Arizona’s restrictive abortion laws and lack of access to care, I was almost unable to make this decision for myself…I was confident in my decision, but due to a provider shortage and the mandatory waiting period, I was made to wait another week before receiving care I so desperately wanted…

“Three years later, when I think of my experience, I imagine how differently it could have all gone. Not every pregnant person has the freedom to decide, the time to take off work, the funds to obtain care, or the privilege to attend an in-person appointment. In Arizona’s hostile abortion landscape, access to medication abortion is restricted through unnecessary regulations, including the 24-hour waiting period and prohibiting the use of telemedicine for medication abortions. Arizonans are also unable to access care through an FDA federal rule change to allow pharmacies to dispense abortion pills. We need to advocate for medication abortions in Arizona and across the country, as this procedure is not only life-saving but life-affirming.” (AZ Mirror: Women’s lives, like mine, hang in the balance if medication abortion is banned, 10/18/23)

Wisconsin Pastor Tim Schaefer: “People should have the right to decide what is best for their lives based on their own faith, and we should trust them to make those decisions.” 

“As I discussed with my congregation, freedom is a core tenet of our faith as Baptists. That includes the freedom to decide whether to end a pregnancy. People should have the right to decide what is best for their lives based on their own faith, and we should trust them to make those decisions… I believe that no single interpretation of scripture should be used by any government to determine laws for how everyone should live. Extreme conservative politicians like Johnson, however, are injecting their radical, narrow interpretation of faith into legislation.

“As the new Speaker wraps his arms around church and state in an effort to bring them even closer together, he omits one of the central tenets of Christianity: love. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors, not to judge or shame them for decisions made in good faith. As a pastor, I have counseled members of my church and community on their decisions to receive abortion care. We discuss how these decisions are best for their lives and fit into their expression of faith and relationship with their Creator.” (UpNorthNews: Opinion: I’m a Baptist pastor and abortion rights advocate who is deeply troubled with Speaker Johnson’s interpretation of scripture, 12/8/23)

If you would like to interview any of these storytellers or speak to somebody at Free and Just for your reporting, please email: maggie@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. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Wisconsin Faith Leaders and Advocates Speak Out Against Republican Attacks on Abortion Rights

*Watch the event here*

WISCONSIN — Local faith leaders, including members of the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, along with abortion advocates and storytellers, joined Free & Just this week for a virtual roundtable to speak out against extreme Republican efforts to restrict abortion access. Participants called attention to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s interpretation of faith to justify his push for a harmful, anti-abortion agenda in Congress.

Leaders of varying faith traditions shared how their religious beliefs inform their support for reproductive freedom, in direct contrast to Speaker Johson’s radical use of faith as a weapon to assert control over Americans’ lives. Participants also included an OB-GYN and women with personal abortion stories who spoke to the human impact of Wisconsin’s abortion ban and advocated for access to abortion care. 

Quotes from abortion storytellers:

“I truly believe I received the type of abortion that every patient deserves to receive and I hope to continue the fight in Wisconsin and across the country to see access restored to our patients,” said Jennifer Vollstedt, a former labor and delivery nurse who shared her decision to end a wanted pregnancy prior to the reversal of Roe v. Wade. “I received excellent care from my nurses, providers, and the chaplain, and I think it was really impactful in my ability to recover emotionally from this experience that was really painful… I believe really strongly that everyone deserves that support and medical-based care in decisions they’re making with their provider and themselves.” 

Dana Pellebon, Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County, explains how she felt a “cloud of judgment” from the religious community she grew up in while deciding to have an abortion, and how she instead felt relief and peace after she received the procedure: “It took away the ‘mythos’ that surrounded abortion for me, and that was freeing and beautiful… As I support people now through their decisions and they say ‘I’m afraid of what’s next,’ I can share what was next for me, and it doesn’t have to look traumatic. It doesn’t have to look like anything other than ‘I went to the doctor, I took care of myself, I came home, I felt better, and then I went on living my life.’” 

“It is an absolute joy to be able to provide this non judgemental, thoughtful care for women, to meet them where they’re at, to recognize that they are critical parts of communities, and those communities involve their deeply held beliefs and their faiths,” said Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN from Green Bay, Wisconsin. “...What I tell my patients is listen to your heart, talk to your faith leaders. They do find great solace when they go back to [their faith leaders] and other people who support them in their lives and they can tell their story and not be judged.” 

Quotes from Faith Leaders:

“When we talk in interfaith settings, one of the realities that we have to recognize is that different faiths have different teachings about all these questions– when does life begin, when does personhood begin,” said Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith Voices and Chair of Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). “...Our different faith traditions all recognize the diversity of faith traditions in this country and that we have a First Amendment right to follow whatever our different faith teachings are. Therefore [abortion] should be a matter between the pregnant person, their medical personnel, their conscience, their God, and not something for our legislators and our government to be involved in.”

“People’s faith beliefs should not have any say over what other people can do and other people’s rights… What Christian Nationalists are doing is about power and control. I don’t even think it’s about their faith,” said Pastor Tim Shaefer of First Baptist Church. “If you feel that strongly about abortion then don’t get an abortion. But that doesn’t give you the right to tell everybody else that you can’t get an abortion. There has to be pushback against that kind of creep of faith perspectives into crafting laws and preventing people from exercising their own rights.”

“I don’t think it’s a logical argument. I think it’s one about control,” said Rev. Denise Cawley, a Unitarian Universalist Minister who has served as a chaplain at Planned Parenthood, of Mike Johnson and other Christian Nationalists' use of the Bible to justify their attacks on abortion. “I don’t think it's at all about the truth of what any sacred text says.”  

“It’s their [Christian Nationalists’] mandate to gain control in every possible situation,” said Diane Duggan, a minister at Circle Sanctuary. “...This attack [on abortion rights] has been part of the playbook of the Christian Nationalists for the last 20 years. What we need to do is continue to chip away at it and to show folks that this is not the way to go.”

More Information on Participating Faith Leaders and Advocates

Faith Leaders:

Rabbi Bonnie Margulis is the Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice and the Chair of Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC).  

Rev. Tim Schaefer is pastor at First Baptist Church of Madison who has counseled several members of his church who have sought abortion care.

Rev. Denise Cawley is a Unitarian Universalist Minister who has served as a chaplain at Planned Parenthood.  

Rev. Dr. Chris Ross is a pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Watertown, WI.  

Rev. Dianne Duggan is a minister at Circle Sanctuary, a Nature Spirituality church in Barneveld, WI, and Assistant Director of the Lady Liberty League.  

Abortion Storytellers and Advocates:

Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an OB-GYN from Green Bay. In an op-ed for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dr Lyerly warns that abortion restrictions could be even worse under Speaker Mike Johnson.

Jennifer Vollstedt is a former labor and delivery nurse who shared her decision to end a wanted pregnancy in this op-ed for TruthOut.

Dana Pellebon is the Executive Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center in Dane County. She shared her personal abortion story in an interview with PBS Wisconsin.

You can watch the event here, and learn more about how House Speaker Mike Johnson’s dangerous anti-abortion record is a threat to reproductive rights here. 

If you’re interested in speaking with any of the roundtable participants, 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. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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.

ICYMI: “It’s About Controlling Women”: Veterans Reject Tommy Tuberville’s Antiabortion Crusade

In New Vanity Fair Piece, Two Free & Just Storytellers Share Their Stories of Receiving Abortion Care While Serving in the Military

WASHINGTON – In a new piece from Vanity Fair, two Free & Just storytellers share their stories of receiving abortion care while in the military. Joanna Sweatt shares that having an abortion while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps allowed her to continue her service. Carrie Frail shares that having an abortion while serving in the Air Force “saved her life” as she was in an abusive relationship.

After the fall of Roe v. Wade, the Biden Administration enacted a policy to allow service members to take administrative leave to access abortion care. The policy also allows service members to request “travel and transportation allowances” to access reproductive health care. Since this policy was enacted, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville (AL) has blocked hundreds of critical military nominations in protest of the policy. 

Reproductive care has never been easy for service members to access, and now since Roe was overturned, it’s become even more difficult with nearly half states enacting abortion bans. Service members now often must travel hundreds of miles to access abortion care, necessitating leave and travel allowances to cover expenses. Joanna and Carrie speak to how important it was for them to be able to access care while they were serving in the military.

Joanna Sweatt speaks to her decision to have an abortion while in the military:

“During her service, Sweatt and her husband—who have celebrated 26 years of marriage—had two more children. But after their third, the couple said they wanted a tubal ligation and a vasectomy. The military doctors, according to Sweatt, deemed the two too young—at 23 and 24—to make such decisions. So Sweatt went back on birth control but got pregnant again; this time, she decided to get an abortion.

“That abortion allowed her to continue her service, which included a deployment to Iraq after September 11, 2001. And when she got pregnant again after returning from tour, she had an ectopic pregnancy and needed another abortion. Those decisions, Sweatt wrote in an essay for NBC News, ‘ensured that I could be the best mother I could be to my three children, and they guaranteed that I could continue serving my country to the best of my ability.’”

Carrie Frail explains how her ability to access to abortion care while in the military saved her life:

“‘I was in a relationship where even family and friends were like, ‘Carrie, he is going to kill you at some point.’ It was very abusive. I had been hospitalized. I had been threatened with firearms,” she said.

“Then she got pregnant.

“Frail recalled that this person made it clear he wanted her to get an abortion, even suggesting that he would ‘do me physical harm to make me miscarry.’ She went ahead with a medication abortion. About a year and a half later, Frail was finally able to leave the relationship, something she said she might never have been able to do had she not moved forward with the procedure. ‘I firmly believe that my abortion saved my life,’ she told [Vanity Fair].”

If you’re interested in speaking with Joanna Sweatt or Carrie Frail, please email zoe@freeandjust.us. 

Mike Johnson Can’t Hide from Extreme Abortion Record Plastered to a Mobile Billboard Touring Washington

Mike Johnson Didn’t Even Finish His First Week as Speaker Before Free & Just Exposed his Extreme Abortion Record with a Mobile Billboard Tour of Capitol Hill and College Campuses

WASHINGTON — Mike Johnson has gone quiet on his plan to ban abortion access nationwide, but it will be hard to hide from his record while a mobile billboard, sponsored by Free & Just, tours Capitol Hill and area college campuses, including American University, Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University from Wednesday, November 1 to Friday, November 3. 

Statement from Chrystian Woods, Free & Just Senior Campaign Director:

“Mike Johnson’s record speaks for itself. We saw him celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade and we have read his tweets lauding the criminalization of abortion care. Now that Mike Johnson has become Speaker of the House, we are putting him on notice that we will not sit back and watch him roll back our freedoms. That’s why we are asking Americans to call Speaker Mike Johnson and tell him that Americans support abortion access.”

The mobile billboard will highlight newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson’s extreme anti-abortion agenda and calls on concerned Americans to call Speaker Johnson to voice their support for abortion access. You can see the creative for the mobile billboard here and here. 

Creative for mobile billboard in Washington, D.C.

***MOBILE BILLBOARD DETAILS***

WHAT: Free & Just Mobile Billboard

WHEN: Wednesday, November 1 - Friday, November 3 (8am - 4pm)

WHERE: The mobile billboards will appear around Capitol Hill and DC-area college campuses Wednesday through Friday

• Wednesday: Capitol/RNC/NRCC HQ

• Thursday: College Campuses (Howard, GW, Georgetown, American)

• Friday: Capitol/RNC/NRCC HQ

Background on Mike Johnson’s extreme record on abortion:

• Mike Johnson has said repeatedly that he supports a national abortion ban and has introduced multiple pieces of legislation to ban and restrict access to abortion care. Johnson is an anti-abortion extremist, who will undoubtedly work to pass further abortion bans and restrictions. 

• Johnson has sponsored legislation that would ban abortion before most people even know they are pregnant. 

• Johnson has also co-sponsored so-called “fetal personhood” legislation 

• The consequences of putting “personhood” language into law could be sweeping. Not only would it criminalize abortion, but it could also ban stem cell research, assisted reproductive technology like IVF, and common forms of birth control.

• Johnson supports criminalizing providers, praising a Louisiana law that would mean those who provide abortion care can be “imprisoned at hard labor for 1-10 yrs & fined $10K-$100K.” 

• Johnson has also supported legislation that would make the Hyde Amendment permanent  and has called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

• Before coming to Congress, Johnson spent years as a senior attorney and spokesperson at the Alliance Defending Freedom– the anti-abortion legal organization that helped engineer the end of Roe v. Wade.

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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.

New Free & Just Digital Ad Calls Out Republican Extremists Attempting to Shut Down the Government Over Abortion Demands

WASHINGTON — This week, Free & Just launched a new digital ad campaign highlighting the fact that Republican extremists are trying to shut down the government in an attempt to force abortion bans and restrictions. While a government shutdown was narrowly avoided, Republican extremists will undoubtedly continue to push their unpopular and dangerous abortion policies in the coming weeks before government funding runs out again on November 15. That’s why Free & Just launched a new ad featuring storytellers who share their opposition to Republican extremists’ attempts to hold the government hostage over their abortion demands. 

You can view the ad here. 

The storytellers featured in the ad include:

• Suki O, an ultrasound tech from Georgia with over 20 years of experience

• Joanna Sweatt, a Marine Corps veteran from Arizona whose abortion allowed her to continue her service

• Amanda D'Angelo, a childcare worker from New Hampshire who received an abortion due to a fetal anomaly 

• Angela Tyler-Williams, a pastor ordained in the Presbyterian Church 

Free & Just Senior Campaign Director Chrystian Woods released the following statement:

“We might have avoided a government shutdown for now, but we know that extreme politicians will continue to threaten to shut down the government if they can’t ram through their harmful anti-abortion agenda. These digital ads are part of Free & Just’s efforts to amplify the voices of those who have had their freedom stripped away by dangerous abortion bans and those who are fighting to stop attacks on reproductive health care.”

As it stands, seven out of 12 GOP appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion. These provisions include:

• Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective method of ending an early pregnancy;

• Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans;

• Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care;

• Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics;

• Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people with information on where abortion access is available;

• Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling.

The GOP abortion restriction provisions are widely unpopular among voters. In fact, a recent Navigator poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans want Congress to focus on avoiding a government shutdown instead of making it harder to access abortion. Despite the wide unpopularity of abortion bans, anti-choice lawmakers continue to force their destructive agenda to further restrict access to care and endanger the personal choices and health of those who may need an abortion. 

Transcript of the ad below: 

Amanda: Angry.

Jojo: Extremely infuriated.

Suki: It’s crazy to me.

Angela: Enraged.

[Text on screen]: 

THAT’S HOW WE FEEL 

WATCHING MAGA EXTREMISTS 

TRYING TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT

BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T PASS MORE ABORTION BANS.

Jojo: My body

Angela: And my future

Amanda: Shouldn’t be controlled

Suki: By anyone

Jojo: But me. 

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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.

Free & Just to Fly Plane Banner Over Nebraska to Expose the Dangers of the State's Abortion Ban as Women Face Prosecution

Free & Just to Fly Plane Banner Over Nebraska to Expose the Dangers of the State's Abortion Ban as Women Face Prosecution

OMAHA, Neb. – Today, Free & Just will begin flying a plane banner over Nebraska, drawing attention to  the women who are prosecuted and punished under the state’s abortion ban. The plane will first go up over Memorial Stadium as the Nebraska Cornhuskers face off against the University of Michigan Wolverines.

The plane will begin flying at 11:30am CT on Saturday, September 30 over Memorial Stadium, three hours before kickoff while families from across Nebraska gather before the game. The plane will then fly over major Omaha highways at the following times:

• Monday, October 2nd, morning commute (7am - 10am)

• Monday, October 2nd, evening commute (4pm - 7pm)

• Thursday, October 5th, morning commute (7am - 10am)

• Thursday, October 5th, evening commute (4pm - 7pm)

Last month, Free & Just placed five billboards with a similar message across Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in response to the sentencing of a Nebraska teen who used abortion pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy. The mother of the teen was recently sentenced to two years under the state’s abortion law. 

After Nebraska Right to Life falsely claimed victory in getting the billboards taken down when Free & Just’s contract had simply expired, Free & Just made attempts to contract with advertisers to continue to inform Nebraskans and put the billboards back up. Vendors across the state, including Lamar Advertising, refused to run the copy, despite it being previously accepted and on billboards for almost a month. This comes as a possible government shutdown looms because extreme House Republicans in Washington D.C. are attempting to further restrict abortion access.

“Extreme anti-abortion groups don’t want people to know that women are going to jail because of their dangerous and deeply unpopular abortion bans,” said Zoe Sheppard, spokesperson for Free & Just. “Lamar Advertising and other advertisers are doing a disservice to Nebraskans when they refuse to let them know the truth about the real-life impact of these bans, so we took matters into our own hands and took flight.”

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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.

As GOP Threatens a Shutdown Over Abortion Restriction Demands, 9 in 10 Americans Say Congress Should Focus on Avoiding a Shutdown Instead of Restricting Abortion Access

Seven Out of Twelve Appropriations Bills Currently Include Restrictions on Abortion

This weekend marks the deadline for Congress to come to an agreement on funding the federal government before an official government shutdown begins at midnight on October 1. Unable to pass any party-priority bills in the last eight months, House Republicans are instead incorporating unnecessary and irrelevant provisions to spending packages, many of which are aimed at further eroding abortion access and forcing votes on bills. 

Using must-pass spending legislation as a vehicle is the latest effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to dismantle access to abortion and reproductive care further. GOP efforts to restrict or ban abortion are highly unpopular, with nearly 70 percent of voters opposing “one-size-fits-all” abortion bans and 58 percent of voters strongly agreeing that abortion bans are dangerous, yet House Republicans are willing to force a government shutdown over their harmful and unpopular policy priorities.

As it stands, seven out of 12 appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion. These provisions include:

• Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective method of ending an early pregnancy;

• Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans;

• Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care;

• Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics;

• Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people with information on where abortion access is available;

• Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling.

As you’re considering coverage of the looming government shutdown and the GOP proposed appropriations bills, Free & Just storyteller Carrie Frail is available to speak to press. Carrie is an Air Force veteran who received an abortion at the only clinic in Missouri at the time, which is now closed. Carrie’s daughter, who is currently serving in the Air Force in Missouri, would have to take leave and travel out of state to receive the same care her mother received almost 15 years ago. Carrie can speak to how important abortion care is for veterans and service members and the harmful impacts of Republicans' bill to ban the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care.

How Do Americans Feel About a Potential Government Shutdown?

• The GOP abortion restriction provisions are widely unpopular among voters. In fact, a recent Navigator poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans want Congress to focus on avoiding a government shutdown instead of making it harder to access abortion. This includes a majority of independents (89 percent) and Republicans (84 percent).

• A majority of Americans (63 percent) feel that a government shutdown would have a negative impact on their lives. Many see the most negative side effects of a shutdown falling on seniors and those who depend on Social Security and Medicare, as well as families that rely on programs that make raising families easier. When voters learn why House Republicans are threatening to shut down the government, voters are even more opposed to their tactics. 

• 77 percent of Americans believe a government shutdown this fall will hurt the economy. This is especially critical in the context of abortion as forcing pregnancy erodes economic security due to the high costs of pregnancy and raising children. 

• People who are denied an abortion are more likely to be living in poverty even four years after, are less likely to be employed full-time, and face more unpaid debts and financial distress years later.

• Abortion medication pills, like mifepristone, can cost up to $800. 

• Raising a child can cost an average of $13,000 a year, totaling approximately $233,000 over the course of childhood. The lack of a robust care economy means that having children has substantial economic consequences in the long term.

• People who have to travel out of state to access abortion care can spend up to/around $10,000 - including car rental, airfare, gas, hotels, medical costs, food, child care, etc. For those living paycheck-to-paycheck, this amount is typically out of reach. 

• Republican-proposed cuts are deeply unpopular, especially those aimed at Social Security, nutrition assistance, education, clean water, and medical research funding.

American Perceptions About Risks to Abortion Access

• Nearly 70 percent of Americans say that the right to an abortion is at risk nationally in America regardless of whether they live in a state that has enacted new restrictions since Roe was overturned or not. Additionally: 61 percent of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June.

• Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) Americans say they would vote to protect abortion rights in their own state if given the opportunity to vote on it.

• Nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose prosecuting patients who receive abortions. A majority of Americans also oppose prosecuting doctors who perform abortions. 

If you’re interested in speaking with Carrie Frail for a story, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.

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Ahead of Tonight’s GOP Debate, Here’s What You Need To Know

WASHINGTON – Tonight, Republican presidential candidates will take the stage for the second Republican debate. During the first debate, we saw candidate after candidate double down on their unpopular stances on banning abortion and restricting access. Tonight, we can expect more of the same. Tonight’s debate comes as extremist Republicans threaten to shut down the government over their demands to further restrict access to abortion and other types of reproductive health care. Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans believe access to abortion is at risk in this country and are concerned about the threat to access in their own state. Sixty-four percent of those same respondents also worry that Republicans, if in a position to do so, would pass a federal abortion ban. Ahead of tonight’s GOP debate, here’s what you need to know:

Abortion bans continue to be extremely unpopular. 

• Americans overwhelmingly oppose passing a national ban on abortion, including 65% of Republicans and 83% of Independents.

• At the same time, 64 percent of Americans believe that if Republicans take back the White House and both chambers of Congress, they are likely to pass a nationwide ban.

• Amid efforts in some states to codify abortion rights in state constitutions, two in three Americans say they would vote to protect the right to abortion in their state’s constitution if their state held a vote on the issue. 

• 61% of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June. 

• Nearly 70% of Americans say that the right to an abortion is at risk nationally in America regardless of whether they live in a state that has enacted new restrictions since Roe was overturned or not. 

There’s no such thing as a “national consensus” when it comes to abortion bans.

• A majority of Americans (8 in 10) say that the decision to have an abortion should be between the pregnant person and their doctor.

• 70 percent of voters oppose “one-size-fits-all” abortion bans, and nearly 60 percent of voters agree that abortion bans are dangerous.

• While some candidates have been claiming that a 15-week ban is a “compromise,” in reality, 74% of Americans do not believe that a 15-week ban is a compromise, and 73% of Americans, including a majority of Trump supporters, think things have gone too far.

Exceptions don’t actually work — and they’re designed that way.

• Exceptions in abortion laws are designed to be difficult to understand, navigate, and obtain. They operate as a political tool and do not provide real assistance to a pregnant person who needs to access care in a state where abortion is banned.

• Exceptions for rape and incest are rare and require survivors to meet a variety of requirements in order to obtain an abortion. One such requirement is reporting an assault to law enforcement which evidence shows few survivors do for a variety of reasons.

• A recent TIME Magazine piece illustrated the problem with exceptions clearly. A Mississippi 10-year-old was raped and became pregnant but was denied abortion care under Mississippi’s law, which includes exceptions for rape. Victims must file a police report, but even if they do, “there appears to be no clear process for granting an exception.”

Extreme anti-abortion politicians are working to criminalize people who seek abortion care and those who help them access abortion care. That’s not only wrong, but also exceedingly unpopular.

• Nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose prosecuting patients who receive abortions.

• A majority of Americans also oppose prosecuting doctors who perform abortions. 

• Just last week, a Nebraska mother was sentenced to two years in jail for helping her daughter obtain abortion pills, a safe and effective method of ending a pregnancy.

If you are interested in speaking with storytellers with Free & Just about the real-life impacts of abortion bans, please reach out to zoe@freeandjust.us

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As Extremist Republicans Threaten to Shutdown Government Over Abortion Demands, Abortion Advocates Visit Capitol Hill to Speak Out

WASHINGTON — Abortion storytellers and advocates visited Capitol Hill this week to elevate the stories of real people and the impact of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year. Storytellers also spoke of the harm of Republican demands in the appropriations process aimed at blocking abortion coverage and forcing votes on bills. Using must-pass spending legislation as a vehicle is the latest effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to further dismantle access to abortion and reproductive care. 

Free & Just’s storytellers who come from different backgrounds — a woman from New Hampshire who chose to have an abortion after learning her baby would be born with a severe birth defect, an ultrasound technician from Georgia, a couple from Florida who were denied abortion care, and an LGBTQ pastor from Wisconsin — met with congressional staff to share abortion stories that call attention to the relentless attacks that have put patients, health care providers, and others across the country in impossible positions. 

“It is imperative that members of Congress take the time to hear from their constituents on how these harmful abortion bans have impacted their lives,” said Chrystian Woods, Senior Campaign Director of Free & Just. “Abortion bans have very real and painful consequences, and our storytellers represent the everyday Americans who have been adversely affected by these widely unpopular anti-freedom policies. We are so grateful to the Members of Congress who met with our storytellers, and we know that hearing from our storytellers will energize them as they continue to fight back against the right’s extreme anti-abortion agenda.”
More on Free & Just’s storytellers who visited Capitol Hill to speak out: 

Amanda D'Angelo is a childcare worker from New Hampshire. She told her story in an op-ed in the Union Leader about how she chose to have an abortion after learning her baby would be born with anencephaly, a severe birth defect, and had no chance for survival. Amanda met with Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02).

Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) embraces Free & Just storyteller Amanda D’Angelo.

Tim Schaefer, the first openly gay pastor at First Baptist Church of Madison and a member of the Wisconsin Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice met with Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02). An advocate for the protection of reproductive rights, Tim has counseled several members of his church who have sought abortion care. 

Derick and Anya Cook are a husband and wife from Florida who shared their story in this Washington Post article of how Anya almost lost her life after being denied abortion care following the reversal of Roe V. Wade. Anya, alongside her husband, delivered her almost 16-week fetus in the bathroom of a hair salon after she was turned away by a hospital due to the state’s abortion law. While starting a family had once been a dream for the couple, Anya describes how “getting pregnant now feels like a death sentence.” Anya and Derick met with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

Suki O. has been an ultrasound tech in Georgia for 20 years. As the first point of contact for patients seeking abortion care, Suki has experienced first-hand the impact of the reversal of Roe. V Wade. Her patients are now terrified when waiting for her to tell them if heartbeat activity has been detected, and she has had patients, including those with fetal anomalies and ectopic pregnancies, now denied abortion care. 

Free & Just, the organization that brought these storytellers to Washington, aims to educate Americans about who is responsible for these attacks and put a human face on the real-life impact of abortion bans. This campaign is grounded in storytelling — amplifying the stories of those who have been directly impacted by the fallout of overturning Roe — and maintaining a steady drumbeat of awareness of the continued attacks on our freedoms and, crucially, who is responsible for the loss of our rights.

Background on abortion provisions in spending bills: 

• Currently, seven out of 12 appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion, including:

• Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone

• Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans

• Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care

• Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics

• Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people information on where abortion access is available

• Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling

If you are interested in speaking with any of these storytellers, please reach out to 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. Follow Free & Just on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.