A series of new campaign ads by Kamala Harris aims to shed light on the increasingly precarious medical care for women following the fall of Roe v. Wade. One ad features a Texas woman, identified as Ondrea, who suffered a life-threatening infection after being denied proper treatment when she miscarried, potentially impacting her ability to have children in the future.
In the ad, Ondrea recounts her heartbreaking experience of losing her baby girl due to premature birth, being denied an abortion, and subsequently developing sepsis, a dangerous pregnancy complication. Her husband, Cesar, also expresses their shared devastation at the possibility of never being able to conceive again.
The campaign underscores the growing instability of medical care for pregnant women, even those not seeking abortions, since the appointment of three Supreme Court justices by former President Donald Trump led to the erosion of abortion rights.
Harris plans to focus on reproductive health care during her campaign visit to Texas, a state known for its stringent abortion restrictions and inadequate medical services for women. The ads highlight the repercussions of limiting access to abortion, which also affects the treatment of miscarriages in many states.
Democrats warn that further restrictions on reproductive rights could follow if Trump is re-elected, as Republican lawmakers continue to oppose efforts to protect and expand access to birth control. Harris advocates for codifying Roe v. Wade into law, a challenging task without full Democratic control of Congress.
The issue of abortion rights is expected to be a key motivator for voters in the upcoming presidential election, with a majority of Americans supporting legal abortion access. Recent state-level votes have either upheld abortion rights or rejected attempts to curtail them, indicating shifting attitudes towards reproductive rights.
Trump's inconsistent stance on abortion and reproductive rights has been a point of contention, with his statements on the issue varying and at times contradictory. The campaign ads juxtapose Ondrea's harrowing experience with audio clips of Trump discussing abortion, highlighting the potential consequences of further restrictions on women's health care.
Ondrea's story also underscores the disparities faced by Black women in maternal health, as they are more likely to experience pregnancy complications and higher mortality rates during childbirth in the U.S. The ads aim to raise awareness about the broader implications of restricting reproductive rights and the urgent need to protect women's access to comprehensive medical care.
