Kamala Harris women’s support panel, including assault victim, in La Crosse supporting reproductive rights

Women’s reproductive rights in the U.S. could be put at risk depending on how the coming elections for president and Congress turn out.

Supporters of Kamala Harris for president brought a group of women to La Crosse and Madison on Wednesday, to speak about health care rights. The La Crosse event took place at the Pump House Regional Arts Center.

One panelist, Hadley Duvall from Kentucky, became pregnant at age 12 when she was assaulted by her stepfather. The pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and Duvall says she’s speaking about her experience, because her state banned abortion.

“It’s clear that we will stand up here and we will say, this is what we deserve, this is what we want, but we cannot get the other side to really conversate with us,” said Duvall.

Two female members of the US House took part in the Pump House discussion, including Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL 1st District), who said reproductive rights affect women’s lives in many ways.

“It means our livelihood,” Ramirez said. “It means our own financial stability, right?”

Ramirez added that every vote counts in Wisconsin, where Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by less than 1 percent.

The other Congresswoman at the event, Diana DeGette (D-CO 1st District), is a co-chair of the
Pro-Choice Caucus in the House.

DeGette served with former US House Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI 3rd District) and knows his family. She called on area Democrats to win the 3rd District seat back from Republican Derrick Van Orden.

“We need to win this seat this time,” DeGette said, “because I need the reinforcements to be able to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, and then to send it over to the Senate to make sure it gets enacted into law.”

The panel also included a medical student, who advocates for rural health care, and Wisconsin state Assembly Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse).