Abortion ban ‘nearly cost me my life,’ Virginians hear from Harris reproductive freedom tour

Harris-Walz supporters rally in Dumfries, Va. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Michael O'Connor/The Dogwood)

By Michael O'Connor

September 16, 2024

The Harris-Walz campaign wants voters to understand that the Democratic ticket will fight to restore reproductive rights, while Donald Trump and JD Vance have a record of supporting less reproductive freedom.

About 50 Harris-Walz supporters rallied in Dumfries on a hot Saturday afternoon as political leaders and advocates urged them to spread the word that reproductive rights are on the ballot.

“I am here because I almost died giving birth to my daughter, but I went into the emergency room with the peace of mind that my doctor could do what she felt was necessary,” Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan of Virginia’s 4th District said in her remarks.

The rally was part of the Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom National Bus Tour that has included stops in Richmond and Virginia Beach. The national tour is planned to continue through the fall and make visits to all 50 states to raise awareness about how support for reproductive rights cuts across party lines. The Harris-Walz campaign wants voters to understand that the Democratic ticket will fight to restore reproductive rights, while Donald Trump and JD Vance have a record of supporting less reproductive freedom.

McClellan was joined at the rally by Eugene Vindman, the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s competitive 7th congressional district that’s anchored by parts of Prince William County, Stafford County, and Spotsylvania County. Vindman noted that the Dobbs decision backed by Trump’s Supreme Court appointees took away the constitutional right to an abortion.

“I have a 14-year-old daughter, and she enjoys fewer rights than her mother did,” Vindman said.

The most poignant moments of the rally came as two women, Amanda Zurawski of Texas and Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana, who survived tragic birth complications shared their stories as a few anti-abortion protestors chanted vile slogans at them.

“It is unthinkable to me that anyone could cheer on these cruel bans that nearly cost me my life,” said Zurawski, who also spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month. “Adding to his cruelty, Trump has said that there should be some form of punishment for women who have an abortion, women like me who are already facing the devastating punishment of losing a child.”

Congresswoman Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the second-ranking Democrat in the US House, urged rally attendees to get involved, help canvas, send text messages, and send postcards to help Democrats win this fall because, as Clark put it, “our lives are at stake.” Abortion bans enacted after Dobbs have resulted in one-third of counties in the US not having an obstetrician, Clark said.

“This is a crisis,” Clark said. “But we have all of you, and you are the ones who are going to get out there.”

Michael O'Connor

Michael is an award-winning journalist who started covering Virginia news in 2013 with reporting stints at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Virginia Business, and Richmond BizSense. A graduate of William & Mary and Northern Virginia Community College, he also covered financial news for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

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CATEGORIES: HEALTHCARE

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