Today, the Michigan Democratic Party hosted a press call with Attorney General Dana Nessel and rural community members across the state to close out the “Defend Choice” Week of Action and discuss the impact an extreme abortion ban being pushed by Republicans would have on rural Michiganders.
Speakers joining today’s call condemned Michigan Republicans up and down the ballot for their continued attacks on abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade while highlighting how integral it is that we re-elect Attorney General Dana Nessel and Democrats at every level of government to defend against Republicans relentless assault on reproductive rights.
Those speaking out against the Michigan GOP’s abhorrent rhetoric and record also shared personal stories on how abortion and reproductive care has impacted their lives, and why extremist GOP candidates like Matt DePerno need to stay out of their doctors’ offices. Here’s what speakers had to say about Republicans pushing to ban abortion in Michigan and nationwide:
Attorney General Dana Nessel:
- “As of right now, abortion is a legal right in the state, but does it really matter if you can’t access that type of medical care? […] This is a particularly difficult issue in rural areas. […] To get [abortion services] is all but impossible to do even when there are emergencies.”
- “What kind of a system are we in that we have an entire political party that is okay with seeing women die on the operating room table? It’s shameful. I have women all over the state who are telling me they want to try to get pregnant, but they’re afraid to because if something goes wrong they don’t want to die. That’s horrific. To have women who are afraid to have children, who are afraid to create families because they are so afraid they won’t get the medical care they need and require if something goes wrong.”
- “If we have Republicans take over the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, it won’t matter what we do in Michigan because we’ll have federal laws that create nationwide abortion bans for all 50 states. It’s time to be scared, and it’s time to get activated…voting for pro-choice Democrats up and down the ballot is the only way we can ensure that these crucial freedoms of privacy continue to exist in this country.”
Michigan Statehouse Candidate Amanda Siggins (HD-101):
- “Providing abortion services is health care, not criminal activity. When you look at the many complications and things that could go wrong during pregnancy, Northern Michiganders and folks in rural areas across the state deserve access to life saving medical services should they need it.”
- “When I was 17, my now-husband and I found ourselves with an unplanned pregnancy. It ended up being a molar pregnancy. I had to be rushed into emergency surgery to end my pregnancy before I bled to death and risked my future fertility. Later on in life, we were trying to start our family and we went through three miscarriages. […] When all you want is to be a mom this process is not only painful, it’s emotional and traumatizing. My experience with years of infertility and seven non-viable pregnancies make me want to protect women and their privacy even more. This experience should not be forced on anyone.”
- “While abortion is still legal in Michigan right now, the writing is on the wall, because if we elect extremists like Matt Deperno and any of the GOP candidates for Governor, most abortions could become illegal—leaving people in Michigan without access to critical health care services.”
Elspeth Inglis:
- “Twenty percent of people in Michigan are living in rural communities. The overturning of Roe v. Wade follows years and years of conservatives making it more and more difficult for women to access health care and abortion services in Michigan…we know the Republican this year candidates up and down the ballot are really radical…this kind of ignorance needs to stop.”
- “I know that Attorney General Dana Nessel is going to defend women and will not prosecute people who seek an abortion, or the providers who perform the abortions and I fully appreciate her for that. This is why we need to work very hard to get Dana Nessel and Governor Whitmer re-elected.”
