( APPLAUSE )
YOU WATCH.
HEY, WE'RE BACK HERE WITH CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE-- WELL, KIND OF THE DISTRESSING NEWS
COMING OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: JUST LAST WEEK ALONE HAS BEEN INSANE.
I REMEMBER WE WERE COVERING THE HEARINGS ON THURSDAY NIGHT, WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT IT HERE.
AND I WENT OH, MY GOD, THERE'S SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT ON THE
HEARINGS, WE DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE
SUPREME COURT HAS THROWN OUT A 109-YEAR-OLD NEW YORK GUN LAW
THAT HAS STOOD AMONG DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS, REPUBLICAN
ADMINISTRATIONS, BUT THEY'VE TOSSED IT OUT AND ARE READY TO
TURN THE CITY INTO A SHOOTING GALLERY.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THAT.
TODAY WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT YESTERDAY THEY
BROUGHT PRAYER BACK INTO THE SCHOOLS.
THE FACT THAT LAST WEEK THEY SAID IF A COUNTY OR CITY DOES
NOT MIRANDIZE YOU, YOU CANNOT SUE THEM ABOUT IT.
AND ON FRIDAY THEY OVERTURNED BOTH "CASEY" AND "ROE V. WADE."
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM THE SUPREME
COURT?
>> WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THE
SUPREME COURT IS ACTIVELY DELEGITIMIZING ITSELF.
AND IN-- WHAT WE HAVE--
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU MEAN DELEGITIMIZE-- I WANT TO HEAR
THE REST OF THE ANSWER-- BUT I HEAR THE WORD "DELEGITIMIZE" IN
"CASEY" THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THEY WOULD LOSE LEGITIMACY IN
THE COURT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY DELEGITIMIZE?
>> THE SUPREME COURT HAS THE POWER.
ITS POWER IS IN WHETHER ITS RULINGS ARE HEEDED AND RESPECTED
AND IF SO, HOW MUCH AND TO WHAT EXTENT.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THE FRAMING OF KNOW-- THE FRAMINGHAMING OF OUR
GOVERNMENT, THE PRESIDENCY, THE CONGRESS-- THE PRESIDENT,
CONGRESS, AND THE SUPREME COURT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THREE COEQUAL
BRANCHES, COEQUAL, NONE WITH SUPREMACY OVER THE OTHER.
AND WHEN ANY ONE OF THOSE BRANCHES OVERREACHES ITS
AUTHORITY, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OTHER TWO
TO CHECK THE OVERREACH OF THAT AUTHORITY.
THE SUPREME COURT HAS ENGAGED IN THE OVERREACHING OF ITS
AUTHORITY.
( APPLAUSE )
RIGHTS OF ANY PREGNANT PERSON OR PERSON THAT COULD BECOME
PREGNANT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THEY HAVE ENGAGED IN OVERREACH, AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS TO PUT THE SUPREME COURT IN CHECK
BECAUSE THEY HAVE DELEGITIMIZED THEMSELVES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WHAT ACTIONS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU-- WOULD YOU LIKE TO
SEE FROM YOUR FELLOW LAWMAKERS?
BECAUSE THE COURT'S RESPONSE TO THAT MIGHT BE, ALITO SAYS WE
TRURN TO THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE.
HE BELIEVES THAT THAT'S WHERE THE LEGITIMACY-- AT LEAST THE
ISSUES OF "ROE," OF ABORTION SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE
PEOPLE.
WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CONGRESS TAKE?
>> WELL, I THINK HISTORY REALLY INFORMS A LOT.
AND IT GIVES US LESSONS HERE.
BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED.
IN THE 1800s, THE SUPREME COURT WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE
CONFEDERATE SOUTH AND WAS STARTING TO RULE IN WAYS THAT
LIMITED ABRAHAM LINCOLN, FOR EXAMPLE.
IN THE "DRED SCOTT" RULING THEY RULED BLACK AMERICANS ARE NOT
AND NEVER CAN BE FULL CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND WHAT DID ABRAHAM LINCOLN DO?
HE SIGNED THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
HE IGNORED THE GROSS OVERREACH AND ABUSE OF POWER.
DURING FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT'S ATTEMPT TO RESTORE
THE COUNTRY, DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, THE GREEN NEW DEAL--
NOT THE GREEN NEW DEAL, THE NEW DEAL, THE NEW DEAL.
( LAUGHTER )
WE SAW WAS AN OVERREACH FROM THE SUPREME COURT ATTEMPTING TO
PREVENT US FROM PASSING THESE LAWS.
AND FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT THREATENED TO EXPAND THE COURT.
AND IN HIS ADOPTION OF THAT POSITION, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
CONGRESS DIDN'T DO IT AT THAT TIME-- ALTHOUGH LINCOLN DID--
THE FEAR OF THE COURT'S POWER BEING MINIMIZED CAUSED THEM TO
BACK OFF THEIR OVERREACH AND ABUSE OF POWER.
I BELIEVE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN SHOULD ENTERTAIN EXPANSION OF
THE SUPREME COURT.
I BELIEVE THAT
I BELIEVE THAT HE SHOULD FORCEFULLY COME OUT IN ENDING
THE FILIBUSTER OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
I BELIEVE THAT HE SHOULD CALL ON CONGRESS TO REPEAL THE HYDE
AMENDMENT.
AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT CONGRESS, WE, HAVE THE-- WE HAVE
THE POSSIBILITY, WHEN WE ARE STRENGTHENED BY THE REPEAL OF
THE FILIBUSTER OR A CHANGE TO A TALKING FILL BURSTER OR STANDING
FILIBUSTER, IN DOING SO WE CAN CODIFY "ROE" AND ALL THE OTHER
CASES THE SUPREME COURT CAN'TED THEY WOULD THREATEN.
WE CAN CODIFY SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, WE CAN CODIFY THE RIGHT TO
CONTRACEPTION, WE CAN CODIFY-- WE CAN ONLY DO IT IF WE'RE NOT
FIGHTING WITH ONE HAND TIED BEHIND OUR BACK, LET ALONE TWO.
AND SO I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW, WE JUST NEED A FIGHT.
WE NEED A FIGHT.
AND WE NEED TO SHOW AND DEMONSTRATE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT WHEN THEY VOTE TO GIVE DEMOCRATS POWER, WE WILL
USE IT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE TO DEFEND EVERYBODY'S
CIVIL, ECONOMIC, AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: CERTAINLY-- CERTAINLY THE REPUBLICANS USE IT
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THEIR POWER AT ALL TIMES.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WELL, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ, EVERYBODY.
STICK AROUND.
♪ ♪ ♪