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.