In Richmond a few minutes ago, there was an event to mark the two-year anniversary of Trump’s far-right Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade. Speaking at the event were Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04), Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) and actress/activist Ashley Judd. As the Biden campaign summarized, the speakers “highlight[e]d Trump’s extreme record, including his belief that there should be ‘punishment’ for women who have an abortion, and spotlight his plans to ban abortion nationwide.” And they warned of a second Trump term, which would almost certainly “rip reproductive freedom from women in all 50 states – including Virginia.” Meanwhile, “[i]n stark contrast, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris believe that women’s reproductive health care decisions should be made by them and their doctors, not politicians…[they] will never allow a national abortion ban to become law.”
With that, see below for video of the event, as well as a few highlights, including:
- Rep. Jennifer McClellan: “Today is a solemn day…the second anniversary of when I became the first generation of my family to lose a constitutional right in my lifetime…when I had to worry if my daughter would have the same peace of mind of knowing that her decisions will determine her fate…today is the second anniversary of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe…I was a month old when Roe was decided. I lived almost my entire childbearing years under the knowledge that the decision of when, how and whether to become a parent would be mine…[Democrats] made Virginia a safe haven for abortion…Virginia is the only state in the South without an abortion ban or extreme restrictions…but that can all go away depending on what happens this November…Now they’re coming after contraception…IFV…The decisions for what to do with your body should be yours…It should not be Donald Trump, Mike Johnson or Glenn Youngkin deciding – it should be you, and we are going to fight back…reelecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris…take back the House!”
- Sen. Louise Lucas: “Well you all know why I walk with this cane. I had total knee surgery for keeping my foot up Glenn Youngkin’s ass all session…It is unfortunate that we gather on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, which denied us the right to reproductive health. This is a right that was granted to us by Roe…on January 22, 1973, which was on my 29th birthday, so this is very significant to me…a landmark decision that once symbolized hope and progress but now serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for bodily autonomy and reproductive justice… our democracy is under heavy attack…I remember the day Youngkin came into office…Some pundits said that he was going to be the moderate, effective governor…who worked across the aisle…Welp, fast forward to today, three years later, and it’s pretty clear that Gov. Youngkin was just another ineffective MAGA placeholder. I mean, at one point he even thought that he was going to be the next president of the United States. Can you believe that shit? But in all seriousness, over the past several years, we’ve seen Republicans’ true color, from convicted felon nominee Donald Trump, who is running just to stay out of prison to the MAGA House Republicans who couldn’t elect and protect their own Speaker of the House, to Glenn Youngkin who tried time and time again to pass reproductive restrictions…an abortion ban in Virginia – and each time he tried, we said HELL NO! It’s clear that these Republicans don’t care about any of you; they don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves and their rich friends…We cannot afford a Republican-controlled government…Our freedoms are at stake!…It was just several weeks…Gov. Youngkin chose to veto the right to contraception – can you believe that crap?…This coming election…send a message to these MAGA Republicans by electing Joe Biden, Tim Kaine and Democrats up and down the ballot…This election is about freedom vs. tyranny…competency vs. chaos…a good, honest man vs. a vengeful extremist.”
- Rep. Abigail Spanberger: “We need to be here for…the long haul, where we stand up for our rights…our freedoms…the rights and the freedoms of the kids…I have three daughters…and the reality is…these are attacks on the rights and the freedoms of our fellow citizens and of our future generations… and we must stand up against those attacks…Roe v Wade…[is] no longer [settled law]…[Dobbs led to] rights rolled back…This is not what we the people…want…This November is our chance to…say, this is unacceptable, you cannot attack our freedoms, you cannot roll back our rights…”
- Ashley Judd: “My story includes abortion. A guy I’d known since I was a kid raped me. And when I became pregnant, I was so grateful that I was able to access a safe and legal abortion, for many reasons, including the fact that in Kentucky and Tennessee, rapists have paternity rights…43 states allow rapists paternity rights – incredible. So you get to coparent with your rapist where abortion is illegal. Welcome to rape culture and patriarchy. Welcome to Donald Trump’s Supreme Court, where he appointed three [justices]…where he has described the overturning of abortion in America as a ‘beautiful thing to watch.’…We know where our polling booths are. And we know exactly for whom we are voting…It is about our very lives…We are the authors and authorities of our family lives – not Donald Trump; he shouldn’t be in charge of anything…I am so looking forward to casting my vote this November for the Biden-Harris ticket, for seeing Roe restored…”
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