'I nearly died': Texas woman confronts Ted Cruz and John Cornyn for anti-abortion policies

27 April 2023

Abortion rights activists, from the National Organization for Women (NOW) to Planned Parenthood to the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), have been emphasizing that anti-abortion laws not only endanger women who experience unplanned pregnancies — they also threaten the health of women who wanted to become pregnant but found themselves suffering dangerous pregnancy complications. In Texas, one such woman is Amanda Zurawski, who is among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state's anti-abortion law.

The Austin resident had hoped to give birth to a healthy baby, but she looked into getting an abortion after learning that the fetus wasn't expected to survive and that proceeding with the pregnancy would be dangerous. Zurawski suffered life-threatening sepsis in an emergency room.

Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 26, Zurawski testified that doctors delayed an abortion because of Texas' anti-law and that the law almost killed her. And she called out Texas' two anti-abortion U.S. senators: Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, both Republicans.

Zurawski testified, "I nearly died on their watch. As a result of what happened to me, I may have been robbed of the opportunity to have children in the future. And it's because of the policies that they support."

Texas' anti-abortion law was passed by the GOP-controlled Texas State Legislature and signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Cruz and Cornyn serve in the U.S. federal government, not the Texas state government. But both of them are anti-abortion and anti-choice and support the types of abortion restrictions being passed in Texas and other red states. Cruz and Cornyn are allies of Abbott, and neither of them opposed the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization — which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended abortion as a national right.

At the April 26 hearing — which was named "The Assault on Reproductive Rights in a Post-Dobbs America" — Zurawski testified, "I wanted to address my senators Cruz and Cornyn, who, neither of who regrettably are in the room right now.… What happened to me, I think most people in this room would agree was horrific. But it’s a direct result of the policies that they support."

Zurawski also told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee — which is chaired by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois — "I've heard a lot today about the mental trauma and the negative harmful effects on a person's psychological wellbeing after they have an abortion, supposedly. I'm curious why that's not relevant for me as well, because I wasn't permitted to have an abortion."

Cornyn, speaking to reporters on April 26, said of Zurawski, "Sounds like she's got a good medical malpractice lawsuit." But according to Zurawski, doctors aren't the problem in Texas — she blame Texas' anti-abortion law, not doctors, for her ordeal.

During the hearing, Zurawski testified that Texas' anti-abortion law is "incredibly vague" and "leaves doctors grappling with what they can and cannot do, what health care they can and cannot provide."

"If they make the wrong the decision," Zurawski warned, "they face up to 99 years in prison and/or losing their license."

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