ON, BUSY NIGHT, HISTORIC DAY. WE’RE GOING TO GET INTO ALL THAT
STUFF.
STUFF. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WILL
TELL YOU I AM DOING THIS PARTLY
BECAUSE IMPEACHMENT IS SO BIG
THAT IT TENDS TO SUCK ALL THE
OXYGEN OUT OF THE ROOM FOR ALL
OTHER NEWS STORIES.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO DO THIS STORY
I’M ABOUT TO DO TONIGHT BECAUSE
JUST ON ITS FACE, THIS IS THING
THAT HAPPENED TODAY THAT IS
LIKELY TO GET SQUEEZED OUT OF
THE NEWS BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING
GOING ON IN WASHINGTON AND ALL
THE OTHER THINGS HAPPENING
AROUND THE GLOBE TODAY.
BUT THIS THING HAPPENING TODAY
IS ABSOLUTELY FLABBERGASTING ON
ITS OWN TERMS.
YES, WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH IMPEACHMENT
TONIGHT IN DETAIL.
BEFORE WE GET THERE, THOUGH, I
JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THIS
OTHER TOTALLY UNRELATED THING
THAT IS UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW IN
THE GREAT STATE OF MISSOURI.
THIS WEEK YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN
THIS HEADLINE FLOATING AROUND.
KANSAS CITY STAR HEADLINES DON’T
ALWAYS GO NATIONAL, BUT NO
MATTER WHAT PAPER IT’S FROM, NO
MATTER WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY
IT’S FROM, A HEADLINE LIKE THIS
IS GOING TO GO NATIONAL AND GET
SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE HEADLINE
THERE IS, QUOTE, MISSOURI HEALTH
DIRECTOR KEPT SPREADSHEET OF
PLANNED PARENTHOOD PATIENTS’
PERIODS.
PERIODS. LET ME READ THAT ONE MORE TIME.
THE MISSOURI HEALTH DIRECTOR
KEPT A SPREADSHEET OF WOMENS
PERIODS.
PERIODS. AND IF YOU’RE THINKING THAT
CAN’T BE RIGHT, MAYBE THIS IS
PUNCTUATION ISSUE.
PUNCTUATION ISSUE. MAYBE IT GOT TYPOED AS
SEMICOLONS AND SOMEBODY MADE IT
INTO PERIODS.
INTO PERIODS. THIS IS FOR REAL.
THE HEALTH DIRECTOR THERE HAS
BEEN TRACKING WOMENS PERIODS ON
A COMPUTER SPREADSHEET AS PART
OF HIS GOVERNMENT JOB, WHICH
MEANS TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN PAYING
HIM TO DO THAT.
REPORTER CRYSTAL THOMAS FROM THE
KANSAS CITY STAR WAS ABLE TO GET
THAT STORY THIS WEEK BECAUSE SHE
WAS IN THE COURTROOM FOR AN
ONGOING HEARING.
ONGOING HEARING. SORT OF LIKE A COURT PROCEEDING,
IT’S AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
GOING ON ALL WEEK.
IT’S ABOUT THE EFFORTS OF THAT
STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR WHICH YOU
SEE HERE, THEIR EFFORTS TO TRY
TO SHUTDOWN THE LAST REMAINING
ABORTION PROVIDER IN THE ENTIRE
STATE OF MISSOURI.
THE REPUBLICAN LED STATE
GOVERNMENT IN MISSOURI IS TRYING
TO MAKE THAT STATE THE FIRST
STATE IN AMERICA TO GO
COMPLETELY DARK IN TERMS OF
ACCESS TO ABORTION.
AND THEY’RE DOING IT BY TRYING
TO SHUTDOWN THE LAST CLINIC IN
THE STATE WHICH DOES ABORTIONS
WHICH IS PLANNED PARENT HOOD
CLINIC.
CLINIC. ABORTION, OF COURSE, IS LEGAL IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. ACCESS TO IT IS CONSTITUTIONALLY
PROTECTED RIGHT IN THIS COUNTRY.
BUT MISSOURI’S REPUBLICAN STATE
GOVERNMENT WANT TO TRY TO FIND
AWAY AROUND THAT INCONVENIENT
FACTS.
FACTS. THEY WANT TO FIND A WAY TO
EFFECTIVELY BAN ABORTION IN THAT
STATE BY PUTTING EVERY ABORTION
PROVIDER THAT REMAINS IN THE
STATE OUT OF BUSINESS USING
STATE REGULATIONS.
STATE REGULATIONS. THEY WANT TO USE STATE
REGULATIONS UNDER THE DIRECTION
OF THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR TO
REGULATE THE LAST CLINIC IN THE
STATE IN SUCH A WAY IT LOSES ITS
LICENSE AND IS FORCED TO CLOSE.
THAT’S HOW THEY’RE TRYING TO
LIMIT ACCESS TO ABORTION IN
MISSOURI.
MISSOURI. AND THAT’S WHAT THESE HEARINGS
HAVE BEEN ABOUT ALL WEEK.
AND THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR
CONFIRMED THAT, YEAH, HE
ACTUALLY HAS BEEN TRACKING
WOMENS MENSTRUAL PERIODS ON A
SPREADSHEET.
SPREADSHEET. >> AND YOU’LL SEE HERE THAT IT
INCLUDES THE PATIENT I.D.
NUMBER, DATE OF PROCEDURE,
GESTATIONAL AGE, RIGHT, SPHTHE
LAST COLUMN INCLUDES THE
DEPARTMENT’S CALCULATION OF THE
WOMENS LAST NORMAL PERIOD.
>> YES, SIR.
>> THE STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR OF
MISSOURI WHO IS TRYING TO YANK
THE LICENSE OF THE LAST ABORTION
PROVIDER IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
AND A STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
IS TRYING TO ADJUDICATE THAT
ISSUE RIGHT NOW.
IN THE COURSE OF THOSE
PROCEEDINGS HE HAS ADMITTED HE’S
BEEN ROOTING AROUND IN PATIENTS
PRIVATE MEDICAL RECORDS AND
MAKING LIKE A STAR CHART OF
THEIR PERIODS.
THEIR PERIODS. >> AND IN THE LAST COLUMN THERE
IT INCLUDES THE DEPARTMENT’S
CALCULATION OF THE WOMAN’S LAST
NORMAL PERIOD, RIGHT?
>> YES, SIR.
>> YES, SIR.
THAT IS HOW WE ARE REGULATING
THE PROVISION OF ABORTION
SERVICES HERE IN MISSOURI.
SO WILLIAMS GAVE THAT TESTIMONY
EARLIER THIS WEEK, A COUPLE OF
DAYS AGO AFTER THE KANSAS CITY
STAR WROTE ABOUT IT, AND IT GOT
A TON OF NATIONAL ATTENTION.
IT ALSO LED TO CALLS THAT THE
MISSOURI STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR
SHOULD RESIGN.
SHOULD RESIGN. IT LED THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER IN
THE LEGISLATOR DEMANDING THE
GOVERNOR SHOULD IMMEDIATELY
INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AS TO
WHAT THIS STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR
HAS BEEN UP TO.
SO WILLIAMS GAVE THAT TESTIMONY
ON TUESDAY THAT THE STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP
CREATED A PERIOD TRACKER AS PART
OF THEIR EFFORTS TO YANK THE
LICENSE TO OPERATE FROM THE LAST
ABORTION CLINIC IN THE STATE.
LEN LATE LAST NIGHT MORE THAN 24
HOURS AFTER WILLIAMS ADMITTED
THE EXISTENCE OF THAT
SPREADSHEET UNDER OATH, MORE
THAN 24 HOURS AFTER REPORTERS
STARTED CALLING HIS OFFICE FROM
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO ASK
QUESTIONS ABOUT IT THE MISSOURI
STATE GOVERNMENT PUT OUT A
STATEMENT ABOUT IT.
QUOTE IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING
HAS LED TO FALSE CLAIMS THAT DR.
RANDALL WILLIAMS TRACKS THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLES OF WOMEN IN
PLANNED PARENTHOOD.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD. NOTHING IN THE TESTIMONY COULD
IN ANY WAY BE CITED TO SUPPORT
THIS FALSE CLAIM.
THE STATE GUMT OF MISSOURI SAYS
NOTHING COULD BE CITED TO
SUPPORT THIS FALSE CLAIM.
STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR RANDALL
WILLIAMS DOESN’T TRACK THE
MENSTRUAL CYCLES OF WOMEN
SEEKING ABORTIONS AT PLANNED
PARENTHOOD, NO WAY, RIGHT, DR.
WILLIAMS?
WILLIAMS? >> THE LAST COLUMN THERE
INCLUDES THE DEPARTMENT’S
CALCULATION OF THE WOMAN’S LAST
NORMAL PERIOD, RIGHT?
>> YES, SIR.
>> SO THIS IS JUST A -- THIS IS
JUST A REMARKABLE THING.
THERE’S ONE OTHER PIECE OF THIS
I REALLY WANT YOU TO SEE.
WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS
STORY IN MISSOURI FOR MONTHS AS
MISSOURI REPUBLICANS, THE STATE
GOVERNMENT THERE TRIES TO
ELIMINATE ALL ACCESS TO ABORTION
IN THAT BIG STATE.
AND YOU MAY RECALL FROM THAT
EARLIER COVERAGE THAT IT WAS THE
SAME STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR
RANDALL WILLIAMS, THE GUY IN THE
BOW TIE HERE WHO IN GOING AFTER
THE LAST CLINIC IN THE STATE
LAST YEAR, HE IS THE ONE WHO
DECIDED TO ORDER ANY WOMAN WHO
WANTED TO GET AN ABORTION IN THE
STATE OF MISSOURI WOULD
HENCEFORTH BE FORCED UNDER HIS
ORDERS TO UNDERGO AN EXTRA
UNNECESSARY INTERNAL PELVIC
EXAMINATION.
EXAMINATION. DOCTORS ALREADY GIVE PATIENTS A
PELVIC EXAM BEFORE A SURGICAL
ABORTION.
ABORTION. THAT IS NECESSARY THING.
BUT STARTING THIS YEAR RANDALL
WILLIAMS AND THE STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT TOLD THE LAST CLINIC
IN MISSOURI, NEW ORDERS, YOU NOW
HAVE TO START DOING THIS PELVIC
EXAM, AN EXTRA ONE, AN EXTRA
INTERNAL VAGINAL EXAMINATION,
MANDATORY, AT LEAST THREE DAYS
BEFORE THE WOMAN ACTUALLY GETS
HER ABORTION.
HER ABORTION. SO WE COVERED THAT EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
YEAR. IT’S JUST ASTONISHING.
AND THERE WAS A BUNCH OF
NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE.
THE CLINIC ULTIMATELY DEFIED
THOSE ORDERS FROM THE STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND AFTER THAT RANDALL WILLIAMS
AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT CAVED
AND THEY STOPPED FORCING THEM TO
DO THAT.
DO THAT. BUT TODAY THIS IS JUST JAW
DROPPING TO ME.
TODAY AT THE SAME HEARING, THE
SAME HEARING THAT’S BEEN
HAPPENING THIS WEEK WHERE THE
STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR HAS NOW
ADMITTED HE’S GOT A COMPUTER
SPREADSHEET TRACKING WOMENS
MENSTRUAL PERIODS, TODAY THERE
WAS TESTIMONY FROM SHANNON WHO’S
BEEN A GUEST ON THIS SHOW, SHE’S
THE DIRECTOR OF SURGICAL
SERVICES AT THAT PLANNED
PARENTHOOD.
PARENTHOOD. SHE TESTIFIED TODAY IN THE STATE
HEARING ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE
WHEN RANDALL WILLIAMS SENT HIS
INSPECTORS TO THE LAST ABORTION
PROVIDER IN MISSOURI THIS YEAR
AS THE STATE WAS TRYING TO YANK
THAT CLINIC’S LICENSE AND SHE
SHARED SOME NEW IMPORTANT AND
STARTLING DETAILS ABOUT THE
CONVERSATION SHE HAD WITH THOSE
STATE INVESTIGATORS, THE ONES
WHO WERE INSTITUTING THIS NEW
MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY PELVIC
EXAM REQUIREMENT.
EXAM REQUIREMENT. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT DURING
CHART REVIEW OF CAIRN SHE HAD
BROUGHT UP WHY PLANNED
PARENTHOOD DOESN’T DO A SECOND
PELVIC EXAM.
PELVIC EXAM. DID YOU EXPLAIN TO HER WHY
DURING THAT CONVERSATION?
>> I DID EXPLAIN TO HER WHY WE
DIDN’T DO A SECOND PELVIC EXAM.
I EXPLAINED TO HER IT WASN’T
MEDICALLY NECESSARY, BUT HE CAN
EXPLAIN MEDICALLY WHY IT WAS
UNNECESSARY.
UNNECESSARY. >> HOW DID SHE RESPOND WHEN YOU
EXPLAINED TO HER WHY?
>> SO SHE SAID THAT SHE
UNDERSTOOD THAT WE HADN’T BEEN
DOING IT THIS WAY, AND SHE ALSO
UNDERSTOOD IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN
MEDICALLY NECESSARY BUT THEY
FELT WE SHOULD BE DOING IT.
WE WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH IT
SO MUCH SHE ACTUALLY SAID PLOOK,
I’M SORRY THAT IT FEELS LIKE
WE’RE MUCH HARDER THAN YOU ON
INSPECTIONS THAN ANYBODY ELSE
BUT WE HAVE BOSSES, TOO AND
THERE’S THINGS THEY WANT US TO
DO.
DO. >> WE HAVE BOSSES TOO AND THERE
ARE THINGS THEY WANT US TO DO.
SHE WENT ONTO TALK ABOUT WHAT
IT’S LIKE AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD
AFTER THE STATE OF MISSOURI WENT
AHEAD WITH THIS POLICY, STARTED
MANDATING DOCTORS HAD TO DO
INTERNAL VAGINAL EXAMINATIONS OF
THEIR PATIENTS FOR NO MEDICAL
REASON OTHER THAN THE STATE WAS
ORDERING THEM TO DO IT.
JUST WATCH THIS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE TWO PELVIC
EXAM ISSUES THAT YOU RAISED?
DID PLANNED PARENTHOOD AGREE TO
DO THOSE?
DO THOSE? >> SO WE DID FOR A SECOND.
WE WROTE THAT IN OUR PLANNED
CORRECTION WE WOULD START DOING
DAY ONE PELVIC EXAMS ON SURGICAL
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> DID PLANNED PARENTHOOD AT
SOME POINT DECIDE NOT TO DO THAT
ANYMORE?
ANYMORE? >> WE DID.
>> AND WHY IS THAT?
>> BECAUSE IT WAS THE WORST AND
MOST HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE EVER.
SO PATIENTS WERE MADE TO GET
UNDRESSED -- BE VIOLATED FOR
SOMETHING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE
TO DO.
TO DO. I DON’T KNOW WHO CRIED THE MOST
THAT DAY.
THAT DAY. IF DOCTOR EISENBERG DID, IF MY
STAFF DID, IF I DID.
WE EXPLAINED TO OUR PATIENTS
THIS WAS NOT OUR DOING, AND THAT
WE WERE ONLY DOING WHAT WE WERE
TOLD.
TOLD. YOU HAVE PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
ABUSED, RAPED AND YOU WERE
PUTTING THEM THROUGH AN INVASIVE
UNNECESSARY PELVIC EXAM FOR
SOMETHING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE
TO DO ON PROCEDURE DAY.
AND YOU HAVE PATIENTS
APOLOGIZING TO US SAYING I’M
SORRY YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TO ME.
I HAVE TO SIT IN A ROOM WITH THE
DOCTOR AFTER THAT SHOW HE CAN
EMOTIONALLY GET HIMSELF TOGETHER
TO THE POINT WHERE HE WAS SAYING
I DON’T THINK I CAN DO THIS.
I CANNOT GO ON VIOLATING WOMEN
AND STICKING MY FINGERS IN WOMEN
EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST BECAUSE
THEY WANT ME TO.
AND WE DECIDED WHATEVER
CONSEQUENCES WE WERE GOING TO
HAVE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO
HAVE BECAUSE TO LOOK IN THOSE
PATIENTS IN THE EYES THE DAYS WE
HAD TO DO THAT, IT WAS
UNBEARABLE.
UNBEARABLE. AND NOT ONLY WAS IT MY JOB TO
MAKE SURE THAT FLOOR RUNS
OPERATIONALLY BUT ALSO I HAVE
STAFF WHO CAN MENALLY AND
EMOTIONALLY BE ABLE TO DO THEIR
JOB, AND NO ONE WAS ABLE TO DO
THEIR JOB THAT DAY OR ANY OTHER
DAY WE MADE WOMEN TAKE THEIR
CLOTHES OFF UNNECESSARY TO BE
INVADED.
INVADED. SO, YES, THAT WAS HORRIBLE.
SO WE DECIDED WE WEREN’T GOING
TO DO IT ANYMORE.
>> IS THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH STILL REQUIRING THAT
PATIENTS RECEIVE TWO PELVIC
EXAMS?
EXAMS? >> SO THEY CHANGED THE
REQUIREMENT TO SAY IT IS STILL
IN THE REGS IT IS REQUIRED, BUT
NOW THE PHYSICIAN CAN DECIDE
WHETHER THEY WANT TO DO IT ON
DAY ONE OR DAY TWO.
AND THEN THEY HAVE TO DOCUMENT
IT.
IT. >> DO YOU NEED TO TAKE A BREAK?
>> NO, I’M FINE.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> WE’LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK.
>> YES, LET’S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE
BREAK.
BREAK. >> SHE SAID SHE WAS FINE, BUT
HONESTLY THE ROOM NEEDED A BREAK
AFTER THAT.
AFTER THAT. SHE LEFT THE WITNESS CHAIR TO
UTTER SILENCE IN THAT ROOM.
BEFORE THE STATE TOOK BACK THAT
NEW EXTRA MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY
PELVIC EXAM POLICY MORE THAN A
HUNDRED WOMEN IN MISSOURI GOT A
VAGINAL PROBE THEY DID NOT NEED
ON ORDERS OF THE STATE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. MORE A HUNDRED WOMEN LATER, DR.
RANDALL WILLIAMS, THE STATE
HEALTH OFFICER IN MISSOURI
DECIDED WELL, OKAY, HE’S ROLL
THAT POLICY BACK.
NOW WE KNOW THAT SINCE THEN HE’S
BEEN RUNNING A SPREADSHEET
MONITORING INDIVIDUAL WOMENS
PERIODS.
PERIODS. THIS HEARING IN ST. LOUIS OVER
WHETHER OR NOT ABORTION WILL
STAY LEGAL IN MISSOURI, THAT
HEARING WAS SCHEDULED TO GO
THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEK.
BUT THAT CHANGED AFTER HER
TESTIMONY TODAY WHICH YOU JUST
SAW.
SAW. THE STATE DID HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE STATE
HEALTH DIRECTOR RANDALL WILLIAMS
BACK UP TO TESTIFY SOME MORE, TO
DELIVER MORE TESTIMONY ABOUT ALL
THE GOOD WORK HE’S BEEN DOING IN
MISSOURI.
MISSOURI. AFTER SHANNON’S TESTIMONY TODAY
THE STATE DECIDED, A, THEY
NEEDED A BREAK, AND B, THEY
WOULD NOT PUT HIM BACK ON THE
STAND.
STAND. SO THESE PROCEEDINGS ARE NOW
OVER, AND WE THE COUNTRY WAIT
FOR AN ANSWER ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT THE STATE OF MISSOURI WILL
RENEW PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S
LICENSE TO OPERATE OR WHETHER
THAT STATE GOVERNMENT WILL
SUCCEED IN MAKING MISSOURI THE
FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY SINCE