Women impacted by abortion restrictions to campaign for Biden in NC this week

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The Biden campaign will launch a multi-state tour this week beginning in North Carolina, featuring two women impacted by restrictions on abortion in southern states, CBS 17 has learned.

Amanda Zurawski and Kaitlyn Joshua will travel to Durham, Charlotte and Winston-Salem sharing their personal experiences about medical complications they faced in their home states when they say they were denied care while pregnant.

The tour comes as former President Donald Trump faces questions about what restrictions he would pursue if elected and said he would be making an announcement this week on abortion policy following a court decision in Florida that will allow a six-week ban on abortion to take effect next month.

Trump called the overturning of Roe v. Wade “a miracle” while campaigning in Iowa in January as he talked about how his three U.S. Supreme Court picks helped make that happen.

“Abortion is on the ballot in November and we’re making it clear to voters the threat Donald Trump poses if re-elected,” said Dory MacMillan, North Carolina communications director for the Biden campaign, in a statement. “Women across the South, including here in North Carolina, have made it clear we want our rights protected, and we’re grateful to Amanda and Kaitlyn for sharing their stories and reminding us what’s at stake in this election.”

Zurawski is suing Texas over the state’s abortion law and told federal lawmakers last year she “nearly died” because she was denied an abortion when her water broke at 18 weeks.

She said doctors sent her home and told her to come back if she showed signs of a life-threatening infection. It wasn’t until she went into septic shock that doctors performed an emergency abortion.

Because of damage to her fallopian tubes, Zurawski and her husband Josh have turned to IVF, but are also concerned about the ability to pursue that in light of the recent decision in Alabama.

In Joshua’s case, she said she was unable to get care at two hospitals in Louisiana when she was experiencing a miscarriage when she was between 10 and 11 weeks pregnant. Joshua said the hospitals sent her home even though she was bleeding heavily.

The women will also meet with student journalists as the Biden campaign tries to mobilize young voters in this key battleground state.

As CBS 17 reported last week, even with the restrictions North Carolina enacted last year, abortion providers in the state say they’re preparing for an increase in patients following the decision in Florida.

As Roe v. Wade fell, teenage girls formed a mock government in ‘Girls State’

North Carolina’s law restricts abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortions can only be performed in cases of rape, incest, protecting the mother’s life and if the fetus has life-limiting anomalies.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor in North Carolina, has said the “next goal” for the state should be to restrict abortion after six weeks “and then just keep moving from there.”

NC abortion providers prepare for increase in patients when Florida’s 6-week ban takes effect

In North Carolina, state House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) recently told reporters the legislature will not pursue any further restrictions on abortion during the session that begins later this month. Moore is running for Congress and said it’s unclear what could happen in 2025 when a new legislature takes office following the November election.

The campaign’s stop in Charlotte this week will also call attention to Mecklenburg County Rep. Tricia Cotham’s decision to switch to the Republican Party, giving the GOP the final vote needed to obtain a supermajority, which allowed them to enact the new abortion restrictions over the objection of Governor Roy Cooper (D).

As The Hill reported last week, Trump also “has over the past year repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if re-elected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on an extremely divisive issue. He has said he supports exceptions for cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.”

The Biden campaign is highlighting the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which advocates for various policies Trump could pursue if elected. It calls for the FDA to reverse its approval of medications for abortion. The Justice Department could also use the Comstock Act, which dates back to the 1800s, to enforce a ban on sending abortion medication through the mail.

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