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A 28-year-old Georgia woman, Amber Nicole Thurman, died in 2022 after being denied immediate medical care due to the state's restrictive abortion laws. Since then, Democratic lawmakers—among them Vice President Kamala Harris—have used her death as a rallying cry, accusing the state of preventing unnecessary deaths due to its abortion restriction.
Thurman's case was first made public by an investigation that ProPublica released on Monday. It is the first known fatality in Georgia that has been connected to postponed abortion care. Her passing happened just two weeks after the Supreme Court decided to reverse Roe v. Wade, which led to Georgia enacting a six-week abortion restriction.
The Impact of Abortion Laws in Georgia
Following the Roe decision’s reversal, Georgia’s abortion statute went into effect, outlawing abortions once heart activity is found in an embryo, usually at six weeks. Mother Thurman, who was also a prospective nursing student, died of sepsis as a result of doctors delaying treatment because they were worried about possible legal repercussions from the recently implemented law.
Speaking out on reproductive rights, Vice President Harris has accused former President Donald Trump of being responsible for the country's loss of abortion rights. Trump had appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices, leading to the eventual dismantling of national abortion rights protections. In a statement on Tuesday, Harris pointed directly to the consequences of these actions, stating that "women are bleeding out in parking lots, turned away from emergency rooms, and losing their ability to ever have children again."
Political Responses to Thurman's Death
Harris stated that Thurman should still be alive, raising her kid and following her aspirations of going to nursing school, and that Thurman’s death was a direct result of Trump’s actions. “Now women are dying” as a result of these measures, she said. As the topic of reproductive rights makes its way to the ballot in November, Harris, who has made it a major campaign platform, asked voters to acknowledge its importance.
A number of Democratic officials have also voiced their indignation about Thurman's death's circumstances. Pro-choice pastor Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) posted on social media site X (previously Twitter) to draw attention to the lethal effects of abortion prohibitions. "Amber Thurman should still be alive, and this tragedy should never have happened," Warnock stated, reinforcing his commitment to supporting reproductive freedom for women.
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) echoed these sentiments, underscoring that public health experts had warned of the risks associated with restrictive abortion laws. He stated that Thurman died of sepsis while her doctors, fearing prosecution under the new law, delayed critical medical care. "Amber should be alive today," Raskin remarked.
The Role of Abortion in Upcoming Elections
In response to Thurman’s passing, former Georgia candidate for governor Stacey Abrams criticized the state’s abortion prohibition. Abrams underlined that women like Thurman are dying as a result of the legislation, pointing to Governor Brian Kemp’s participation in its enactment. Abrams called for a change in leadership to stop further tragedies, even though Georgia does not have ballot initiatives. Instead, she asked people to support state lawmakers who would repeal these laws.
With many voters considering abortion as a determining factor in their vote-casting decisions, abortion is expected to be a major topic in the 2018 November elections. Cases like as Thurman's are being used by Democrats to mobilize support and drive state and federal legislation pertaining to reproductive rights.
The Trump Campaign's Defense
The Trump team responded by placing the responsibility for Thurman’s demise on the hospital where she was treated, claiming that establishment did nothing despite Georgia’s abortion law’s legal exemptions. A Trump spokesman questioned why the participating doctors did not administer life-saving care in Thurman’s instance, citing exclusions in the legislation for rape, incest, and the mother’s life. To yet, the Trump campaign has not responded to any further questions.
Because of Thurman's passing, the argument over stringent abortion regulations has gained national attention as both political parties get ready for the elections in November. The discussion has focused on the practical effects of these restrictions. Voters and lawmakers alike are debating how these legislation would affect women's rights and public health.