[ CHEERING ]
>> TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT IN
A ROOM FILLED MOSTLY WITH MEN
SIGNED ONE OF THE COUNTRYS
STRICTEST ABORTION RESTRICTIONS
INTO LAW YESTERDAY.
IT BANS ABORTION EVEN IN CASES
OF RAPE AND INCEST.
BEFORE MOST WOMEN KNOW THEY ARE
PREGNANT.
TEXAS IS THE 12th STATE TO PASS
A LAW BANNING ABORTIONS AS EARLY
AS SIX WEEKS.
COURTS HAVE STOPPED THOSE OTHER
LAWS FROM GOING INTO AFFECT.
ITS ALL PART OF A BROADER
ATTEMPT BY THE REPUBLICAN STATE
LEGISLATURES TO LIMIT WOMENS
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS.
OVER 500 ABORTION RESTRICTIONS
HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN 44
STATES JUST THIS YEAR ALONE.
ACCESS TO ABORTIONS ARE
THREATENED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL,
TOO.
THE SUPREME COURTS RECENT
DECISION TO HEAR A CHALLENGE TO
MISSISSIPPIS ABORTION BAN POSES
A DIRECT THREAT TO RROE V. WADE.
ABORTION WOULD BE BANNED IN TEN
STATES WHICH HAVE PASSED A
TRIGGER LAW TO AUTOMATICALLY BAN
ABORTION THE MINUTE ROE DOESNT
EXIST.
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PLANNED
PARENTHOOD JOINS ME NOW.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> I REALLY APPRECIATE.
BEFORE WE JUMP IN, I WANT TO
REWIND MEMBER THAT ABORTION IS
STILL LEGAL IN ALL 50 STATES
RIGHT NOW.
DESPITE THE DAMNEST TO TRY TO
CREATE ALL OF THESE HORRIBLE,
DIABOLICAL RESTRICTIONS, ITS POSSIBLE AND LEGAL TO GET
POSSIBLE AND LEGAL TO GET
ABORTION IN TEXAS. ARE INTENDED
HOBBLE
HORRIBLENESS.
>> ONE EXAMPLE THAT STICKS OUT
IN TERMS OF SOMETHING BAD -- IT
WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY "THE TEXAS
TRIBUTE."
INSTEAD OF HAVING THE GOVERNMENT
ENFORCE THE LAW, IT TURNED IT
OVER
-- IT TURNS IT OVER TO CITIZENS
WHO ARE ABLE TO SUE ANYONE WHO
HELPS SOMEONE GET AN ABORTION.
HOW BAD IS THIS LAW?
THAT FEELS LIKE AN OVERREACH.
ANYONE CAN SUE EVEN THE PERSON
WHO GAVE YOU A COUPLE HUNDRED
DOLLARS TO GET AN ABORTION.
>> ITS NOT ANYONE IN TEXAS.
ITS ANYONE FROM ANY STATE IS
ABLE TO SUE YOU FOR CREATING
ACCESS TO ABORTION.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING HERE IS
THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE THESE
LAWS, BUT THEY DONT WANT TO BE
RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY DONT WANT TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENFORCING THEM.
AGAIN, CLEARLY DESIGNED TO
SHAME, INTIMIDATE PROVIDERS,
PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR PARTNERS TO
A CLINIC TO ACCESS ABORTION.
ALL OF THESE THINGS, THEY ARE
PUTTING INTO QUESTION SO PEOPLE
ARE LITERALLY AFRAID TO ACCESS
ABORTION.
WE HAD -- I TALKED TO ONE OF MY
COLLEAGUES TODAY IN CALIFORNIA
WHO HAD A PATIENT FROM TEXAS WHO
UBERED FROM TEXAS TO CALIFORNIA
TO GET ACCESS TO ABORTION,
BECAUSE THEY LITERALLY DID NOT
KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I THINK THAT IS THE INTENT OF
THESE LAWS, TO CREATE THESE
UNBELIEVABLE EXTRA BURDENS ON
PATIENTS WHO ARE SEEKING ACCESS
IN AN EFFORT TO ESSENTIALLY
CONTROL OUR BODIES.
>> YOU MENTIONED AT THE TOP THAT
ABORTION IS LEGAL IN ALL 50
STATES.
ACCESS, IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU
LIVE IN THE COUNTRY.
IN TERMS OF HOW THINGS ARE RIGHT
NOW, THE STATE OF THINGS RIGHT
NOW, IN MISSISSIPPI, THERES ONE
CLINIC LEFT.
ITS NOT LIKE ACCESS IT ABORTION
IS EASY.
IS IT GETTING WORSE?
OR IS IT SORT OF THE WAY IT HAS
BEEN SINCE 2010 WITH THIS
CONCERTED EFFORT TO RESTRICT
ABORTION ACCESS?
>> I THINK THE RESTRICTIONS ARE
CERTAINLY GETTING MORE INTENSE,
AS YOU MENTIONED.
THERE ARE UPWARDS OF 530
RESTRICTIONS WE HAVE SEEN SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.
WITH THE SUPREME COURT TAKING
THIS CASE IN MISSISSIPPI THAT
THE CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE
RIGHTS HAVE BROUGHT, WHICH IS
THE LAST ABORTION PROVIDER IN
MISSISSIPPI, WE ARE SEEING NOW A
FULL CHALLENGE TO ROE.
IT GOES TO THE HEART OF ROE.
THE PERIOD IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT OUR
OWN BODIES.
THE COURT IS STEPPING IN TO RULE
WHETHER THAT IS DONECONSTITUTION
I THINK WHAT OUR REPRODUCTIVE
JUSTICE PARTNERS HAVE SAID ROE
IS THE FLOOR.
ITS A RIGHT THAT ONLY DEPENDS
IF YOU HAVE ACCESS.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS NOW
ADDITIONAL RESTRICTION TAZ ARE
BEING
-- RESTRICTIONS LAYERED UPON
THIS RIGHT.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THIS
PARTICULAR CASE IN MISSISSIPPI
NEXT YEAR, IT WILL MEAN THAT
MANY WILL HAVE ACCESS AND YET TO
RIGHT.
THATS THE FIGHT THAT WE ARE
FIGHTING AND GEARING UP FOR.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE DONT
TALK ABOUT ENOUGH IS THE ROLE OF
STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN
CHALLENGING UNCONSTITUTIONAL
ABORTION LAWS OR ANY LAWS PASSED
BY LEGISLATURES.
IN OKLAHOMA, WE HAVE THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE HUNTER
ACTING IN THE INTERESTS OF
PERSONAL POLITICS, URGING THE
SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP THE
MISSISSIPPI ABORTION BAN.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE WAYS
ATTORNEYS GENERAL CAN APPROACH
THIS ISSUE.
SHOULD WE TALK MORE ABOUT THAT
AND GETTING ADVOCATES AND
SUPPORTS OF ROE TO FOCUS IN ON
THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT ROLE OF
ATTORNEY GENERAL IN MANY OF THE
STATES?
>> YEAH.
LOOK, I THINK ATTORNEYS GENERAL
PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
IM REALLY PROUD OF THE
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL
ASSOCIATION WHO DECIDED THAT
THEY WOULD NOT ENDORSE ANY
ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT WAS NOT IN
SUPPORT OF ACCESS TO ABORTION
UNDER ROE.
I THINK THAT THEY HAVE CHOICES.
AS WE ALL DO IN TERMS OF
SUPPORTING PROACTIVE RELATION.
I WAS IN NEW JERSEY TODAY WITH
GOVERNOR MURPHY.
THEIR STATE LEGISLATOR
LEADERSHIP TALKING ABOUT HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO PASS THE
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM ACT.
WE KNOW THAT IN MANY STATES, WE
WILL HAVE TO, GIVEN WHATS
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, REALLY PUSH
THE BOUNDARIES TO MAKE SURE WE
ARE EXPANDING AS MUCH ACCESS AS
WE CAN KNOWING THERE ARE STATES
SET TO HAVE THESE TRIGGER LAWS
CLICK WITH ROE BEING OVERTURNED
POTENTIALLY.
THERES A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS
TO HAPPEN.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A STATE BY
STATE FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE FOCUSING ON CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE
ARE WORKING AS MUCH AS WE CAN
WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL PARTNERS
AS WELL TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE
CAN BE FEDERAL PROTECTIONS.
I THINK THAT OUR ATTORNEYS
GENERAL ARE GOING TO PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE AS THE CHIEF
ENFORCERS IN EACH STATE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO
PROTECT PEOPLE WHO, AGAIN, ARE
GOING TO BE TRAVELING AND
NEEDING TO ACCESS ABORTION.
THATS WHAT WE KNOW IS NOT GOING
TO HAPPEN.
PEOPLE WILL NOT STOP SEEKING
ACCESS.
WE SAW WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO
ADD RESTRICTIONS, THE EXECUTIVE
ORDERS DURING COVID.
PEOPLE DROVE 18 HOURS FROM TEXAS
TO COLORADO TO GET ACCESS.
THEY HAD TO TAKE OFF WORK.
THEY TO PUT THEIR KIDS IN THE
CAR, PARENTS IN THE CAR TO
TRAVEL THROUGH A PANDEMIC.
THATS WHAT THE REALITY IS GOING
TO BE.
THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT RETAIL IS, HOW IT IMPACTS LOW
RETAIL IS, HOW IT IMPACTS LOW