And now to Alexis McGill Johnson. She is the president of the Planned
Parenthood Action Fund. It's the political arm of the country's largest
abortion provider.
Alexis McGill Johnson. Thank you very much for joining us. So what
is your reaction to this historic decision? Well, obviously, Judy,
I'm devastated. You know, it is, um
So challenging to have lost faith and hope in, um, in, uh, the institution
that controls literally our bodies, our freedom. The fact that they
came out with this decision, even though we saw a leaked version
of it, Um, uh, less than a month ago, it feels
Even harder
to to see it come to fruition. What do you think the practical effect
of it is going to be for American women for American families? The
practical effect is that
You know, people will have to go to great lengths to get out of their
states to get access to care. We know that 26 states are poised to
ban access to abortion or severely restrict access. We know that
36 million women and non binary and trance folk will be affected
by this decision.
We know that people who will be most impacted are likely to be low
income rural black brown indigenous communities who may lack the
resources to be able to get out of state, so it means that many people
will be forced into pregnancy and that will have a devastating consequences
for the families. They're currently caring for.
Much less themselves and their communities. And what does it mean
for Planned Parenthood and for other organizations like yours that
that support abortion rights? What do you do now?
Oh, look, I I had lost hope in the court. But I have a lot of hope
in the people. Now is the time for us to fight back, and that is
exactly what we are planning to do. We are mobilizing people across
the country to ensure that they know what is at stake to ensure that
every lawmaker every corporation every university understands.
The impact that this will have on their constituents on their workforce
on their communities on their students, and to ensure that no one
gets to stay neutral in this moment.
No one gets to say, Well, that's a complicated, controversial issue.
I don't want to touch when it starts to impact your community. You
will have to take a stand and we're going to force everyone.
Who is in every community to have that conversation around. What's
the play Right now? The anti abortion movement, many of its leaders
are now saying they are not stopping with this. They are going to
look now to try to ban abortion.
Nationwide. How will you respond to that?
They? They've been forecasting this for so long. We can see how incredibly
emboldened that they are that they're showing their entire playbook.
Not only do they want to push for a nationwide six week ban, which
Mitch McConnell said he would take up it became Senate majority leader
again. We know they will be moving to try to identify opportunities
to amend the Constitution.
For other protections. So we have to fight back and be just as relentless.
Um, to fight their extremism, And that is exactly what we are going
to do. And finally Alexis McGill Johnson, What is your message to
Two young women families who were out there listening to this
listening to you right now, who are questioning what it means for
them?
Um And what? What they should do now What do you What is your message?
You know, my message is the same message I gave to my daughter, My
13, year old daughter, 10 year old daughter, both of whom are going
to grow up with less rights than I have enjoyed for the last 49 years
of my life.
And I told them we are going to fight this at every turn.
Now is the time to be engaged in the fight. Now is the time to make
sure that future generations continue to maintain and hold rights.
We have to make sure that every movement understands that we have
to make it relevant for every single generation, and we want young
women to grow up in a world where they are able to pursue their own
freedom.
Their own imagination, and we're going to continue to fight with
them and for them until they take the baton so they can fight along
with us.
Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of the Planned Parenthood Action