There’s a national spotlight on abortion rights, and we need to know that
debate moderators will raise the issue.
[ [link removed] ]We're adding our names to demand that moderators at ABC News ask about
abortion in the next presidential debate—will you join us?

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. 

[ [link removed] ]There's a national spotlight on abortion rights right now, and we need
to make sure that moderators will raise the issue when Vice President
Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump meet on the debate stage
soon. We signed MoveOn's petition telling debate moderators to ask about
abortion—will you join us?

We deserve to know how our next president will fight for reproductive
health care—tell ABC News debate moderators to ask about abortion.

[3]Sign the petition

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. [ [link removed] ]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?

[ [link removed] ]Add your name to MoveOn's petition now if you agree that ABC News
moderators of the September presidential debate must include questions
about abortion.

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.

[ [link removed] ]Will you join us in adding your name to MoveOn's petition urging ABC
News debate moderators to ask about abortion during the next presidential
debate?

Thanks for all you do.

–Busy Philipps, Kaitlyn Joshua, and Amanda Zurawski

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

Sources:

1. "Trump brags about role in overturning Roe v. Wade but urges GOP
caution on abortion," CBS News, January 11, 2024
[link removed]

2. "Trump says abortion legislation should be left to states," CNN, April
8, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

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 
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

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
[link removed]

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 
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

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