Harris at Atlanta rally: 'Trump abortion bans' caused Georgia women's deaths
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the case of a Georgia woman who died after not receiving timely medical care for complications from an abortion at a rally in Atlanta on Friday afternoon.
The event, which took place at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, marked her second visit to Atlanta and her third visit to Georgia as a presidential candidate. This is her eighth visit to the state this year.
Her Friday visit came after two ProPublica articles reported that two Georgia women — Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller — died after not receiving timely abortion and medical care. Harris’ speech focused on the story of Thurman, who died after spending 20 hours in a hospital bed. She was waiting for doctors to begin an operation to remove fetal tissue that her body had not expelled after she took an abortion pill.
According to ProPublica, medical experts say her death was preventable. Harris said deaths like Thurman’s are not only preventable but “predictable” under abortion bans across the country that she attributed to the Trump administration.
“Now we know that at least two women — and those are only the stories we know — here in the state of Georgia, died, died because of a Trump abortion ban,” she said.
In 2022, the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned abortion protections enshrined in the Roe v. Wade decision. More than 20 states across the U.S. have now passed further bans or restrictions on abortions.
Georgia has a ban on abortions if the fetus has a “detectable human heartbeat,” or around six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions if the pregnant person would die or suffer permanent physical impairment without an operation, or if the fetus would not be able to sustain life after birth. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia has heard testimonies from physicians about shortages in maternity care following the bill and the difficulty of recruiting and retaining OB-GYN residents.
It’s a critical election year, and Georgia is at the center of it. Stay in the know with WABE’s 2024 Georgia Elections page, where you can find WABE’s latest election news and podcast episodes, important dates, voting locations, candidate info, results and more.
Kavitha Surana, the ProPublica reporter behind the investigations, told WABE’s Rose Scott on “Closer Look” that she believes the vague language in abortion bans makes doctors wary of performing life-saving abortion care out of fear of being prosecuted.
“Let’s break that down,” Harris said at her Friday rally. “So we’re saying that we’re going to create public policy that says that a doctor, a health care provider will only kick in to give the care that somebody needs if they’re about to die?”
Harris talked about how Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant, was headed to nursing school and was taking care of her 6-year-old son.
“Her name, and we will speak her name: Amber Nicole Thurman,” she said. “And she had her future all planned, and it was her plan.”
Harris mentioned her conversation with Oprah Winfrey the night before, which featured an appearance from Thurman’s mother Shanette Williams, who said “people around the world need to know that this was preventable.”
At Friday’s rally, Harris mentioned how former President Donald Trump has proudly taken credit for nominating conservative justices to the Supreme Court who eventually helped overturn Roe v. Wade, calling him the “architect” of a maternal health care crisis.
“He is proud, proud that women are dying? Proud that doctors and nurses could be thrown in prison for administering care? Proud that young women today have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers? How dare he,” she said.
She promised to sign abortion protections into law.
A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement about Thurman and Miller’s deaths and the state’s abortion law on Friday before Harris’ rally began.
“Every life is precious, including that of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller,” said Garrison Douglas. “They would likely both be alive today if partisan activists and so-called journalists had not spread such egregious misinformation and propaganda that fostered a culture of fear and confusion.”
“Rather than use their tragic deaths for political gain or to reignite the same deadly misinformation campaign that puts patients’ lives at risk, these activists and journalists should honor Amber and Candi’s memory by ensuring that Georgians know the truth about the LIFE Act and their healthcare options in our state,” Douglas added. “Regardless, we will continue to fight for and protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us.”
Harris’ visit to Georgia indicates the importance of the battleground state during the 2024 election cycle. Earlier this week, Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance visited Atlanta for an evangelical Christian fundraiser, and Harris’ Democratic running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended political events in Macon and Atlanta.
The deadline to register to vote in this year’s election is Oct. 7. Early voting begins Oct. 15.
WABE’s Rahul Bali contributed to this report.
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