New Ads from Free & Just Urge Mainers to Tell Senator Collins to Protect Abortion Access, Reject Trump’s New FDA Nominee
Six-figure digital buy comes as Senate committee considers advancing nomination of anti-abortion extremist Heidi Overton
MAINE –– Today, Free & Just launched new digital ads urging Mainers to tell Senator Susan Collins to reject Dr. Heidi Overton, an anti-abortion extremist, and President Trump’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration. The ads, which are running on digital platforms across Maine, come as the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which Senator Collins sits on, looks to schedule confirmation hearings for Overton.
In August, President Trump tapped Dr. Heidi Overton, the deputy director of his Domestic Policy Council, to run the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — the agency that decides which medications America's doctors are permitted to prescribe. Overton is a noted anti-abortion extremist, who celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade as "a huge victory for life," dismissed federal legislation protecting abortion rights as "radicalism," and has promoted false claims about the safety of medication abortion that contradict more than two decades of evidence.
“Every woman in Maine remembers what happened the last time Senator Collins took a nominee at their word about Roe," said Gowri Buddiga, Campaign Director at Free & Just. "Heidi Overton has already told us who she is. She's called medication abortion dangerous and she's spent years working to make it harder to get, and she'd be walking into the agency that decides whether Maine women can still fill that prescription. Senator Collins needs to vote no."
If confirmed, Overton could move to restrict access to medication abortion nationwide –– even in states where it is legally protected. In May, former Commissioner Marty Makary resigned under sustained pressure from anti-abortion groups who spent months publicly demanding he be fired for refusing to move faster on restricting mifepristone. Overton has a clear directive from President Trump: Ban access to medication abortion nationwide –– even in states where abortion is legally protected.
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe, they took our rights away and put millions of women in danger.
Now, Heidi Overton is nominated to lead the FDA and Senator Susan Collins has a choice:
Vote to confirm Overton, an anti-abortion extremist who celebrated the fall of Roe, calling it “a huge victory,” and supports a ban on medication abortion.
Or stand up for Maine women.
Tell Senator Collins: Don’t confirm Overton. Don’t put Maine women in danger.
Senator Collins could decide if this anti-abortion extremist oversees our healthcare at the FDA.
Heidi Overton called the fall of Roe “a huge victory.”
She shouldn’t control our reproductive care.
Tell Senator Collins: Vote no Overton.
If you are interested in connecting with patients, physicians, or experts about what Overton’s nomination means for abortion access across the country, including those living in states where abortion is currently protected, please contact kelly@freeandjust.us.
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.