Dear MoveOn member,
It's Busy Philipps. You might know me as an actress or writer, or maybe you've seen me on Instagram—but I'm also an activist and a mom. And today, I'm coming together with Amanda Zurawski and Kaitlyn Joshua, who you might remember from their powerful speeches at the Democratic National Convention, to talk about an issue that is important to all of us: abortion.
When I was 15 years old, I had an abortion. It's a decision I made that I don't regret, and I'm so grateful that I had access to it. But for Amanda and Kaitlyn, getting the reproductive care they needed post-Dobbs was much harder.
For three horrific days, Amanda was denied a medically necessary abortion in Texas after her water broke early and it was determined her pregnancy was no longer viable. It was only after she developed a serious bacterial infection and crashed into septic shock that they moved forward with what would have been standard treatment if it weren't for the state's abortion ban. She and her husband feared for her life due to the unnecessary delay of treatment, all while grieving.
Kaitlyn and her husband also feared for her life after she was denied care she needed for a miscarriage—turned away by two emergency rooms in Louisiana because the treatments for miscarriage are the same procedures used in abortion care. Instead of treating her, they told her they would pray for her and sent her home in excruciating pain. Kaitlyn might have received intervention sooner, but due to the state's abortion ban, clinics had already started to delay early prenatal care out of fear of liability.
Each person who seeks abortion care has their own reasons for doing so—all of them valid—and Amanda, Kaitlyn, and I trust pregnant people and their loved ones to make those decisions. But since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago, millions of Americans have lost access to essential reproductive health care.
We'll never forget how Trump bragged about ending Roe v. Wade, or how the Republican Party has tried to downplay their extreme and restrictive abortion platform that has led us to where we are today.1 They think if they don't talk about it, we'll forget that they've enacted dangerous abortion restrictions across the country—threatening our bodily autonomy and freedom. But we know what their goal is, and we can expose the truth on the debate stage.
The majority of Americans support abortion, and the future of abortion and other reproductive care, like birth control, is a key issue in this election. We need moderators to ask direct, nuanced questions about abortion and to hold presidential candidates accountable to their records and plans.
People like Amanda deserve to hear from our next president the answer to this question: What role does the federal government play in making sure that every American, regardless of where they live, can access a full range of essential reproductive health care, including abortions?
And here's the question Kaitlyn wants answered: What would you say to women like me, our families, and the doctors and physicians who are sounding the alarm about the negative impact of state abortion bans?
Trump has said that abortion should be "left up to the states" and that "there has to be some form of punishment" for people seeking abortion care.2,3 Roughly 1 in 3 women of reproductive age now live in a state with a dangerous abortion ban in effect.4 But we know that people are still seeking out reproductive health care. In my home state of Illinois, where abortion is legal and accessible, out-of-state patients have increased by 800% at some health care centers near the border with Indiana since Roe v. Wade was overturned.5
Every day, futures are changed and lives are put at risk by these cruel, restrictive laws. It's not often we get to hear directly from candidates and become informed about how our future president would tackle critical issues that impact our everyday lives. For voters like us, abortion is one of the most important issues on the line in this election cycle. Debate moderators must act like it.
Thanks for all you do.
–Busy Philipps, Kaitlyn Joshua, and Amanda Zurawski
Sources:
1. "Trump brags about role in overturning Roe v. Wade but urges GOP caution on abortion," CBS News, January 11, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/186062?t=9&akid=403615%2E53570607%2EtggZW-
2. "Trump says abortion legislation should be left to states," CNN, April 8, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189225?t=11&akid=403615%2E53570607%2EtggZW-
3. "Donald Trump: 'There Has To Be Some Form Of Punishment' For Women Who Get Abortions If They Become Illegal," CBS News, March 30, 2016
https://act.moveon.org/go/196303?t=13&akid=403615%2E53570607%2EtggZW-
4. "FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Commitment to Defending Reproductive Rights and Actions to Protect Access to Reproductive Health Care One Year After Overturning of Roe v. Wade," The White House, June 23, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/196306?t=15&akid=403615%2E53570607%2EtggZW-
5. "Planned Parenthood of Illinois' Doors Are Open for Indiana Residents as Abortion Ban Goes Into Effect August 1, 2023," Planned Parenthood of Illinois, August 1, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/196521?t=17&akid=403615%2E53570607%2EtggZW-
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