Congresswoman Deborah Ross Spotlights GOP Government Shutdown and Attacks on Reproductive Health Care Alongside North Carolina Advocates and Storytellers

Washington, DC –– This week, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) joined Free & Just and local health care advocates Dr. Rita Kuwahara, Dr. Kristen Feldman, and patient advocate Gabby Long to spotlight how Republican lawmakers are holding the government hostage to gut health care for millions of Americans and launch new attacks on reproductive freedom. 

Even as the government grinds to a halt leaving millions of Americans’ health care hanging in the balance, the Trump administration is charging ahead with efforts to dismantle access to one of the safest, most widely used medications in the country: the abortion medication mifepristone. Earlier this month, nearly every Senate Republican urged the FDA to require the safe and effective abortion medication to be distributed in person, banning the use of telehealth and to suspend approval of all mifepristone generics. 

At the event, Congresswoman Deborah Ross, Free & Just, and local advocates shed light on what is at stake as Trump and Republican lawmakers gut health care, raise costs, and launch new attacks on reproductive freedom in North Carolina and across the country.

“Ever since January, women — and in particular their health care — have been at risk because of this administration. There has been nothing less than an all-out war on women's health care,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02). “We've also seen a Congress that has no regard for women's reproductive health care, which includes abortion care. There are some places where you simply cannot get access to reproductive health care or to pregnancy care, and women are having to travel sometimes more than an hour just to get the care that they need. This is an emergency, and we need to look at it through the lens of a government shutdown, but really the broader lens of an assault on women's health care.”  

“As a physician, I think that health is not a partisan issue. When a patient comes in, my role would be to take care of the patient and make sure that they can be as healthy as they can be. It doesn't make sense that we're having these partisan conversations when we’re talking about access to health care because no one chooses to get sick, they just happen to get sick, and so it shouldn't be based on how much you have in the bank that determines whether or not you're able to access the care that you really need,” said Dr. Rita Kuwahara, a local primary care and internal medicine physician. 

“If patients are not able to access the care that they need, because health centers are closing due to rising costs, then they're not able to access family planning products and services so that they can live their healthiest and best lives,” said Dr. Kristen Feldman, OB/GYN and Vice President, Medical Affairs at Afaxys, Inc. “Planned Parenthood providers are no longer able to accept federal Medicaid dollars, and I think that some people think that they're preventing abortions from happening because of the ability to accept federal Medicaid dollars. But the Hyde Amendment already prevents federal Medicaid dollars from being used for abortions. So what this means is that Planned Parenthood providers are not able to be reimbursed for pap tests, breast cancer screening, sexually transmitted infection testing, and so that sort of basic health care is what is being compromised when they are eliminating providers from receiving federal Medicaid dollars.”

“Facilities are going to close, have already started to close, and we've seen it in other states. It's not something that's going to happen, it's something that is already happening and patients are being forced to pay out of pocket for care when that money that they have should also be going towards their bills,” said Gabby Long, Outreach Organizer and Coordinator with A Woman’s Choice. “These are people's lives that are at risk. Women should not have to worry about getting access to care based on their zip code, or the type of care that they're going to receive based on their zip code. It should be out there for everybody and we should already have plans in place to protect these people, including women.”

This week, Congresswoman Ross joined 54 of her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) in sending Speaker Mike Johnson a letter demanding he bring Republicans to the negotiating table to end the government shutdown. The letter highlights how women will predominantly be responsible for navigating the skyrocketing cost of health care for their households and safeguarding their families’ access to health care coverage.

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@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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Patients React: More Empty Promises from President Trump on IVF Amid Republican Health Care Crisis

Families have no reason to believe President Trump’s promises when it comes to health care

WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, President Trump announced a misleading new proposal related to IVF treatment, which accounts for up to 2.6% of births in the United States. As the Republican health care crisis stretches into its fifteenth day, today’s proposal amounts to little more than lip service for the Americans who have invested time and money into fertility treatments to grow their families.

Today’s announcement follows months of silence from the administration after falsely promising action to expand access to IVF treatment earlier this year. Instead, the administration has embraced fringe activists calling for "restorative reproductive medicine,” an ineffective alternative that experts call a "non-medical approach” to treating infertility.  

The truth is that the self-proclaimed “father of IVF” continues to roll back access to all types of reproductive health care, threatening millions of families across the country. 

Following today’s announcement, IVF patients from across the country expressed doubt about the President’s claims and shared how his administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom are affecting their families.

“Pregnancy has become more dangerous under Trump, and the reality is that many of the women impacted by abortion bans advanced by Trump and extremist lawmakers must now rely on IVF to grow their families because of the permanent physical damage done to their bodies after being denied necessary, sometimes lifesaving medical care,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Today’s announcement isn’t a ‘win’ for anyone – it’s an insult to the millions of families impacted by Trump’s deadly anti-health care agenda.”

“IVF is a long and grueling process on its own, and it’s hurtful to see so many of the same politicians made things harder on me and my family claim that they’re taking steps to help parents like us,” said Jamie Heard, a mother from Birmingham whose IVF treatment timeline was derailed in early 2024 when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos were children and that those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death. “People within the IVF community see right through the administration’s rhetoric and know better than to take these extremists at their word.”

“I am a mom today because of IVF and in spite of the efforts of people like President Trump and lawmakers here in Montana,” said Anne Angus, a Montana mother who was forced to travel out of state for abortion care after her baby was diagnosed with Eagle-Barrett syndrome. Seeking to prevent another fatal diagnosis, Angus and her husband chose to pursue IVF. “IVF gave me hope after a devastating loss, but make no mistake  – I spent my entire treatment worrying that extremists would take away the care I relied on for a healthy pregnancy. We are not political pawns and our families deserve better.”

If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates about today’s announcement and how the Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom harm growing families, please contact Kelly Rimar (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.

ICYMI: Senate Republicans Demand Baseless New Restrictions on Medication Abortion Amid Government Shutdown

Extremist lawmakers seek to weaponize federal agencies to ban abortion nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC –– Yesterday, nearly every Senate Republican urged the FDA to require the safe and effective abortion medication to be distributed in person, banning the use of telehealth and to suspend approval of all mifepristone generics. These 51 Republicans in the Senate expressed their opposition to the most common method of abortion by signing onto a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary. The letter came just one week after the FDA approved the use of a generic mifepristone.

As the Republican government shutdown stretches into another day and millions of Americans’ health care hangs in the balance, anti-abortion extremists remain committed to furthering their attacks on reproductive freedom and stripping health care from women and families across the country. 

In response to Senate Republicans' letter, providers, patients, and advocates from across the country released statements spotlighting what is at stake as attacks on reproductive freedom escalate. 

“Let’s be clear – Trump and Republicans’ attacks on mifepristone are a national abortion test. Extremists are so committed to banning medication abortion, that even a national crisis won’t derail their dangerous agenda,” said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Medication abortion is safe, effective, and accounts for 60% of abortions in America. It’s time for lawmakers to invest their energy into protecting our health care, not stripping us of our rights to appease an extreme minority.” 

“When I was 20 weeks pregnant, my son was diagnosed with bilateral renal agenesis, meaning my baby would die in utero, or within hours after birth. Ending my pregnancy through induction was the most humane option for me in my situation. To safely induce labor at 23 weeks, I needed abortion medication,” said Megan Kling from Taylor, Wisconsin. “Women across this country experience pregnancy complications everyday. You cannot restrict abortion medication without negatively impacting maternal health care. Women deserve access to the best standard of care that science and medicine has to offer. Making abortion medication more difficult to access is cruel. It increases risks to the mothers health and adds to the trauma of pregnancy loss for grieving parents like me. Anti-abortion politicians in DC need to mind their own business and keep politics out of our doctor’s offices.”

“As an OBGYN who knows just how safe and effective mifepristone is, and as a patient myself, I am outraged at the relentless attacks on our care,” said Dr. Austin Dennard, a board certified OBGYN based in Dallas, Texas. “I am sick of ill-informed politicians trying to make decisions on behalf of patients and the doctors who care for them. These attacks make my job harder, and punish vulnerable women and families seeking care. Enough is enough.”

“I have no regrets about my decision to have an abortion, and every single day, I am grateful that I had access to the medication I needed,” said Marissa “Sunni” Rudd from Brooklyn, New York. “The lies and disinformation that extremists are peddling about medication abortion are dangerous and harmful to families like mine. It is unacceptable that these lawmakers would go after our medications during a government shutdown that could leave millions of Americans without health care.”

“Mifepristone is a medication that has been evaluated by the FDA, and received FDA approval for being safe and effective. Its use in miscarriage care and life threatening pregnancies, such as ectopic pregnancies, results in fewer complications than surgical alternatives,” said Dr. Laurel Barr, an emergency medicine physician in Columbus, Ohio. “In appropriately selected patients who have discussed the risks, benefits, and alternatives with their doctor it is safe, effective, and lifesaving. It should be available and affordable in life threatening situations and its production should not be unduly restricted.”

Free & Just is committed to fighting for reproductive freedom. Join us in sharing stories, raising voices, and securing our future. 

If you are interested in speaking with any of the storytellers quoted above, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us and 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.

Former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Patients, and Providers from Rural Georgia Spotlight Republican Health Care Cuts Forcing Local Hospital to Close Labor & Delivery Unit

Atlanta, GA –– Today, former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, joined Georgia physicians and advocates to spotlight how cuts to Medicaid in the Republican tax law are forcing St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in rural northeast Georgia to close their labor and delivery unit. In Georgia, where access to care is already limited by the state’s extreme abortion ban, women and pregnant patients will have to jump through even more hoops to get the care they need. 

During the event, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Free & Just, Georgia providers, and advocates set the record straight on what’s at stake as Republican health care cuts force hospitals across the country to close their doors.

“There are over 300 rural hospitals that are estimated to be at risk of closing. It really was devastating to hear that St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital is shutting down its labor and delivery unit as a result of the cuts of the Republican tax law. Nobody wants to worry that they are going to be delivering their baby on the side of the road,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator. “People across this country and in Georgia deserve a health care system that is both affordable and accessible. The Republican tax law harms all of us, but this crisis is not inevitable. It is a choice. Republicans in Washington are choosing to side with a handful of billionaires and big corporations instead of protecting the health care that families rely on.”

“I woke up in the middle of the night covered in amniotic fluid and blood, and I was contracting. And all three of us were terrified. We had to drive 30 minutes to the hospital, and I remember how painful every single one of those 30 minutes were. There were several occasions in which I had to drive myself bleeding, leaking amniotic fluid over an hour to seek care. Because of my delay in care, my daughter was born at 27 weeks. It was a very precipitous delivery, and at this point, we had moved to Savannah, where I am a mile from my current hospital,” said Callie Beale Harper, an artist from Savannah,who was forced to go out-of-state for urgent medical care when she was pregnant with twins. “I know the dangers of not being able to receive care, but especially the dangers of not being close to care. The closure means that many women now face the same impossible choices, the same terrifying dangers that I faced, and that my family faced as well.”

“For many of our rural communities, there is no longer any hospital-based obstetric services available, there's no physicians available, there is no labor and delivery unit. For many of these women, they have to travel 30, 60, 90-plus miles to access one of these. And for a woman having an obstetric crisis, an obstetric emergency, 30 minutes can be life or death — 60 minutes absolutely is horrendous. And so it really speaks to how we are not serving the women of Georgia,” said Dr. Lara Hart, a Georgia based Obstetrician-Gynecologist. “Overall, we're not supporting our patients, we're not supporting our communities. I really find it so frustratingly hypocritical for a political party to say that they support families, and they want women to have children, but then they do nothing that actually supports those women in having healthy pregnancies and having good outcomes.”

“If women can't afford to get basic health care, there will be more sickness, more death,” said Dr. Karen Kinsell, the only rural primary care provider in Clay County, Georgia. “I practice in Clay County. There's a thousand people in my town, 3,000 in the county. I know women who've died of prenatal, perinatal deaths. In such a small population. If we, the government, the community, truly care that life is important, then we need to ensure that access to reproductive health care, all health care, is not only legally available, but also financially available, and we need to act on that. And we need to act before this bad-bullshit- bill comes to full fruition.”

Cuts to Medicaid affect all patients’ access to care – not just Medicaid beneficiaries. Republicans in Congress passed drastic health care cuts in the federal budget reconciliation package. These cuts are now forcing hospitals across the country to close their doors, leaving patients without access to the care they need. Republican lawmakers are fueling a nationwide health care crisis, and communities across the country will suffer. 

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, or learning more about Free & Just’s work, please contact malachi@freeandjust.us. 

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MEMO: 25 Years of Mifepristone: Project 2025 & Trump’s National Abortion Test

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Interested Parties Memo

From: Veronica Ingham, Free & Just Senior Campaigns Director
Re: 25 Years of Mifepristone: Project 2025 & Trump’s National Abortion Test
Date: September 24, 2025 

Background

September 28 marks 25 years since the FDA approved mifepristone, a safe, effective medication that has reshaped abortion care in the U.S. Despite its proven track record, Project 2025 — the right’s governing blueprint for a second Trump term — lays out a roadmap to eliminate access. Today, the Trump administration is testing a national abortion ban through attacks on mifepristone.

Current Threats

• Project 2025 Playbook: A covert national abortion ban test – Project 2025 calls for rolling back medication abortion by pressuring federal agencies to reverse FDA approval and by weaponizing the Comstock Act as a backdoor national ban.

• Political Pressure: Republican attorneys general and members of Congress continue to demand new investigations into mifepristone, ignoring decades of data on its safety.

• Misuse of Comstock Act: Conservative lawmakers want to revive the 1873 Comstock law to block mailing abortion pills and even medical equipment — an approach echoed in Project 2025.

• Legal Challenges: Anti-abortion organizations are advancing lawsuits aimed at curtailing or eliminating access to mifepristone nationwide.

• State-Level Bans: States like Texas are passing laws banning mailed pills and deputizing private citizens to sue anyone who helps Texans obtain them. States that protect abortion rights are now relying on “shield laws” to protect patients and providers.

• Federal Review: At the urging of anti-abortion politicians and junk science, the FDA has agreed to revisit its approval of mifepristone — a drug it has deemed safe for nearly 25 years.

The Reality

• Safe and Effective: Medication abortion accounted for nearly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions in 2023.

• Public Opinion: More than six in ten Americans support keeping medication abortion available. Even many Trump voters oppose new restrictions.

• Political Risk: Imposing Project 2025’s abortion agenda risks significant political backlash, particularly in battleground states.

Bottom Line

The 25th anniversary of mifepristone is a milestone in reproductive health and also a searing reminder of what’s at stake: Project 2025 would dismantle access to one of the safest, most widely used medications in the country. Trump’s attacks on mifepristone are a national abortion test. Will women and families retain the ability to make private medical decisions — or see those decisions dictated by politics?

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) & Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) Join Free & Just Patients To Call Out Impact of Trump's Move to Ban Abortion Access for Veterans Nationwide

WATCH: In Senate testimony, RFK confirms plans to weaponize federal agencies against reproductive freedom.

WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus Member Julia Brownley (CA-26) and Servicewomen, Women Veterans, and Military Families Task Force Co-Chair Congresswomen Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) joined veterans at a virtual press event to respond to the Trump administration’s plan to ban abortion care and counseling across the VA system. On August 1, the Trump Administration announced its plan to prevent veterans from accessing abortion care or counseling through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. 

The Trump administration’s proposed ban would bar veterans from getting abortion care or information through the VA—even in cases of rape, incest, or health emergencies.

“There seems to be no end to the harm this administration intends to do to the people who currently serve in uniform and to those who came before them,” said Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), a former U.S. Air Force officer who spearheads the Democratic Women’s Caucus’s work for servicewomen, veterans, and their families. “The Trump administration is politicizing medical decisions that should be strictly personal and between a woman and her doctor just to score cheap political points and hurt the health of women.” 

“Make no mistake – Donald Trump and his extremist allies are using women veterans to advance an anti-choice anti-woman agenda, and inch us closer to a national abortion ban,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26), who chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. “The irony is incredibly infuriating. They claim issues of reproductive health should be ‘left to the states,’ yet they’re abusing their federal power to impose their beliefs on veterans nationwide – even in states where abortion is legal.”

“For veterans, the VA is our only health care lifeline, and to take away access to abortion care is to strip away our right to decide what happens with our own bodies,” said Joanna Sweatt, an Arizona-based Marine Corps veteran who credits access to abortion care with allowing her to continue serving her country. “The fear is real. The anger is real, and the betrayal is real. We are people who raised our right hands and swore an oath to defend this country, and now we don’t have access to health care. Our dignity is on the chopping block. This is so much bigger than politics – it’s about keeping our promise to those who serve,” Sweatt, who serves as the National Organizing Director for Common Defense, added.

 “Military service was an escape for me, and for so many men and women in this country, it’s an opportunity to better yourself,” said Sylvia Andersh, an Air Force veteran and first-generation Mexican immigrant who had an abortion in 1978 while on active duty. “Women veterans are facing serious attacks from this administration, and as a military spouse and a former active duty servicemember, I am devastated. We are living in fear and it’s overwhelming at times.”

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, 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. 

RFK Jr. Pushes FDA to Ban Abortion Pills, Threatening Millions of Patients

WATCH: In Senate testimony, RFK confirms plans to weaponize federal agencies against reproductive freedom.

WASHINGTON, DC –– At a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed that he is working with FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to roll back access to the abortion medication mifepristone. 

In June, under pressure from extremist lawmakers like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Commissioner Makary pledged to conduct an “investigation” into mifepristone, drawing on dangerous disinformation – not science. During today’s hearing, Secretary Kennedy shared that investigations into medication abortion are underway, demonstrating this administration's continued commitment to banning abortion and restricting reproductive freedom across the country. 

The reality is that medication abortion is safe, effective, and was relied on in nearly two-thirds of all  U.S. abortions in 2023. More than six-in-ten Americans favor keeping the medication available as a prescription drug. According to data from Navigator Research, most voters in the 2024 election – including many who supported President-elect Trump – oppose laws to further restrict abortion and would view a politician who votes for these laws negatively. Still, Republican lawmakers plan to intervene in the personal, private medical decisions of women and families.

Republican lawmakers remain committed to banning abortion nationwide, and they will use any tool at their disposal to do it, including weaponizing federal agencies to ban access to safe and effective medications. 

If you are interested in speaking to health care providers who regularly prescribe mifepristone, or patients who have used the medication, including the folks below, please contact Kelly Rimar kelly@freeandjust.us. 

AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT 

Emma Burns, Flagstaff, AZ: Emma Burns found out she was pregnant with twins while a college student. She made the decision to have an abortion after calling a hotline and was referred to the only clinic with appointments in the entire state. After her first appointment, where she was required by Arizona state law to view the ultrasound and listen to the cardiac activity, Emma had to wait a week and a half to see the physician again, which meant receiving her medication abortion on the exact last possible day she was legally able. 

Dr. Austin Dennard, Dallas, TX: Dr. Austin Dennard is a  board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who was pregnant during the summer of 2022, but at 11 weeks learned she was carrying a fetus with anencephaly, a fatal condition affecting the development of the brain and skull. She and her husband had experienced something similar with a previous pregnancy and had made the decision to end the pregnancy . While she was previously able to receive the care she needed in Texas including mifepristone for her D&E, that was not the case for her 2022 pregnancy, and she was forced to travel to the east coast for care.

Dr. Kristin Lyerly, De Pere, WI: Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an OB/Gyn who specializes in care for rural and underserved communities. Dr. Lyerly treats patients who have traveled from out of state for abortion care, including providing abortion medication, and was one of several physicians involved in litigation against the state of Wisconsin over efforts to revive the state’s 1849 abortion ban. 

Elise Warren, Portland, OR: Elise Warren speaks openly about her experience taking abortion medication on social media and is known online as a safe, confidential resource for her younger peers. Elise says her abortions changed her life for the better, and she continues to learn everything she can about abortion access, spread trustworthy resources and information, and amplify the stories of those who wish to tell them.

130+ Advocates from 35 States Urge Congress to Defend Reproductive Freedom

Free & Just leads letter marking Congress returning from August Recess.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, more than 130 storytellers from 35 states across the country signed a letter urging Congress to consider the lived experiences of women, patients, and physicians as lawmakers return from August recess. The letter, organized by Free & Just, features notable signees including Amanda Zurawski, Shanette Williams, Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, and advocates such as Patricia McFarland, who had an abortion in 1970 before Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, and has watched the rights of women and patients nationwide erode due to anti-abortion extremism. 

Free & Just sent the letter after a month of local organizing and storytelling while elected officials returned to their home districts and their constituents during the month of August. The letter builds on Free & Just’s “Summer Storytelling Series” in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin — where patients and partners engaged lawmakers directly about the real impacts of abortion bans.

The letter spotlights the consequences of the deadly Dobbs decision and details how abortion bans are killing women and patients nationwide. In the letter, storytellers write: 

“The impacts of abortion bans can be felt throughout our communities by friends, loved ones, and providers who navigate the challenging landscape left in the wake of the Dobbs decision and the impacts of the spending package recently signed into law. Providers in states that ban or restrict abortion are forced to constantly weigh the risks of providing essential care to a patient or being fined or imprisoned for administering that care. Husbands watch their wives’ and kids watch their mothers’ health decline to the brink of death before they can receive necessary and often lifesaving healthcare. Friends and families are forced to witness their loved ones suffer through impossible circumstances because laws in their state deprive them of the right to make decisions about what happens to their own bodies and lives. These abortion bans are being pushed by extreme politicians who have worked diligently to implement elements of their anti-abortion playbook and played the long game toward chipping away at our rights and freedoms.” 

Read the full letter here. 

“In this letter, storytellers demonstrate tremendous courage by sharing their experiences of needing or providing abortion care, despite the many obstacles they have faced when trying to make the best medical decisions for themselves and their families. And yet, extremist Republican officials continue to weaponize the power of the federal government to strip reproductive freedom at the expense of lives,”said Veronica Ingham, Senior Campaigns Director for Free & Just. “Abortion bans are already killing women across the country. Republican lawmakers — at the Trump administration’s direction — are pushing an extremist agenda that leaves patients in crisis without access to care to score political points.”

If you are interested in connecting with patients, providers, or advocates who signed on to the letter, please contact Malachi White (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.

Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys Joins Local Physicians and Medical Students at Roundtable in Madison as Attacks on Abortion, Access to Health Care Escalate

Watch the event here.

MADISON, WI –– Today, Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys joined local physicians and medical students at a roundtable to highlight how Trump-era and Republican-led attacks on abortion access are harming families, impacting health care providers, and undermining the education of a generation of medical students in our country.

Today’s event is part of Free & Just’s “Summer Storytelling Series” featuring patient storytellers, local partners, and lawmakers in communities across the country highlighting how Trump-era and Republican-led attacks on abortion access are ending women’s lives and harming families — even in states where abortion remains legal.

At the event, local students and health care providers shed light on how attacks on reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy make it challenging to provide the patient care that patients need and deserve. 

“Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court here in Wisconsin struck down an 1849 abortion ban that had rendered abortion unavailable in our state for over a year after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade. This was an important step forward for Wisconsinites – however, abortion is still quite heavily restricted here,” said State Senator Kelda Roys (D-Madison), who co-authored the Reproductive Freedom Act, which would ensure patients and doctors in Wisconsin have the power to make important health decisions free from political interference. “Republicans in Washington just passed their deeply unpopular, and frankly horribly offensive budget bill that is going to impact access to all types of health care, particularly reproductive health care. The impact on our ability to meet the needs of Wisconsinites is extreme, but there is also a tremendous human cost.”

“The evidence is very clear: Restricting access to reproductive health care harms individuals, families, and communities,” said Amy Williamson, MPP, who serves as the Associate Director of the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity. Williamson shared concerns that cuts to Medicaid and efforts to close down Planned Parenthood clinics in Wisconsin and across the country will fuel a public health crisis, and leave patients without access to basic health care. 

“While the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the 1849 abortion ban was a relief in a lot of ways, it does not mean that the state legislature couldn’t pass an abortion ban in the future, so our right to both access and provide abortion in our state is not protected,” said Dr. Abby Cutler, an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UW School of Medicine & Public Health. “Ultimately, this fundamental right is tied to the political winds, and politics and medicine do not belong together.”

“As a medical student, I am constantly thinking about the legal landscape around reproductive health care. I have to really think about if I want to do my residency in Wisconsin or practice medicine here,” said Morgan Homme, a member of UWSMPH Med Students for Choice. “It’s hard to grapple with because I grew up here, my family is here, and I love this state. But, if they are not going to allow me to practice the full scope of care, I really can’t limit my training.”

“When I started about the scope of reproductive care, I came to realize how far removed laws restricting abortion are from actually happens in the clinic,” said Emily Chou, a member of UWSMPH Med Students for Choice. “Patients are usually very clear and confident in their decision, but Wisconsin takes that choice out of the hands of the patient as if to say ‘we know better than you.’ Ultimately, these laws just make it harder for people to access the care they want and need.”

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@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.

Congresswoman Deborah Ross Spotlights GOP Attacks on Abortion and Access to Health Care Alongside North Carolina Advocates and Storytellers

Watch the event here.

RALEIGH, NC— Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) joined Free & Just, Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic, storytellers, and local partners to highlight how Trump-era and Republican-led attacks on abortion access are harming families — even in states where abortion remains legal. Together, they set the record straight on what’s at stake as Trump and GOP lawmakers push for a nationwide ban on abortion.

Throughout August, Free & Just is partnering with patient storytellers, local partners, and lawmakers in communities across the country for a “Summer Storytelling Series” to amplify the stories of real people impacted by attacks on abortion and reproductive freedom.

At the event, Congresswoman Ross, Free & Just, and local advocates shed light on what is at stake as Trump and Republican lawmakers launch new attacks on reproductive freedom in North Carolina and across the country.

“Trump and Republicans in Congress are using the power of the federal government to strip away our rights and our health care. They say they want to leave abortion to the states, but the truth is that they are working hard every day to ban basic care for women. Indeed, they continue to pursue insidious policies that chip away at a woman’s right to choose, harming women and families even in states where abortion remains legal,” said Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02). “Here’s the bottom line: every woman in America deserves the freedom to make their own decisions about their own health care.”  

“Every day I walk into an emergency department that serves as the last line of defense, a place of refuge for people who have nowhere else to go. Increasingly, I'm seeing patients traveling from other states just to access abortion care — a care for women who delayed seeking treatment until their condition became life threatening, not because they didn't want care, but because they were navigating the legal and logistical maze; trying to find a provider, a clinic, or even just safe passage into a state like ours,” said Dr. John David Purkal, an ER physician based in North Carolina. “When a pregnant woman walks into the emergency department, scared and alone, our health care system should not fail her. Reproductive rights are about ensuring she gets the care she needs when she needs it without fear or delay. Our emergency departments are social barometers. They reflect the fractures in our system and the resilience of our people. But they are not infinite safety nets. We can't treat a failing system with emergency patches. We need leadership. We need protections, we need funding, and we need to say unequivocally: abortion care is health care and health care is a human right.” 

“After Roe v. Wade was overturned, our state has become one of the few remaining refuges for abortion access in the South, as limited as it may be. But once people get here, patients are forced to navigate decades of politically manufactured barriers, mandatory in-person counseling, long waiting periods, physician only prescribing requirements for medication abortion, and outright bans on telehealth services. None of these restrictions are about patient safety, they are about control,” said Cara Schumann, Deputy Director of Federal Strategies at All* Above All. “Make no mistake, even as President Trump claims he will not support a national abortion ban, his allies, including appointees, members of Congress, well-funded anti-abortion lobbyists are already laying the groundwork, and their eyes are set on medication abortion. This agenda is a dangerous rollback of safe, science-backed care, and it blatantly ignores the will of the American people.”

“Every person should be able to access quality affordable health care from a provider they trust, no matter their income or their insurance status. The government's latest attempts to block people with Medicaid coverage from going to Planned Parenthood for basic reproductive health care including birth control, cancer screenings, and the treatment for STIs is abhorrent,” said Jillian Riley, NC Director of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic. “In many places across North Carolina, it can be really difficult to find a health care provider who will accept Medicaid coverage. And when you find one, there is often a long wait before you can even get your appointment. The government shouldn't be in the business of making it harder for people to get the care they need. Our elected officials should let every health care provider do their jobs, and patients make their own health care decisions. It's a freedom that we all deserve.”

“Right now, North Carolina has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Abortion is restricted to just 12 weeks and 6 days. On top of that, patients are forced to wait 72 hours after an in-person consultation before they can receive care,” said Gabby Long, Choice Hotline Manager with A Woman’s Choice. “North Carolina’s restrictions don’t only affect patients in our state—they also impact those traveling here from across the Southeast, where abortion is either banned entirely or cut off at 6 weeks, which might as well be a total ban. These laws don’t protect anyone. They only push people already facing difficult situations into even harder, more dangerous ones.”

You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@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.