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“CBS MORNINGS” EXCLUSIVE: “WOMEN ARE GOING TO DIE”: HILLARY CLINTON ON SUPREME COURT’S HISTORIC ABORTION RULING

When former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heard that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights, she was not surprised. She told CBS MORNINGS co-host Gayle King that this was something that had been in progress for years. She also weighed in on Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the abortion case, the future of the filibuster and the state of American democracy.

Watch and Read More Here: https://cbsn.ws/3QMvfx4

Twitter Link Part 1: https://bit.ly/3y2KhWW

Twitter Link Part 2: https://bit.ly/3xXG0UF

Excerpts:

Part 1:

GAYLE KING: Justice Thomas has sort of floated that out there about contraceptive rights–

HILLARY CLINTON: Yes.

KING: –and contraception, and about same sex marriages. But other justices have pushed back to say, “No, he’s really sort of on his own with that.”

CLINTON: Well, he–

KING: You don’t believe that?

CLINTON: Well, he may be on his own, but he’s signaling–as he often did, you know? People–I went to law school with him. He’s been–a person of grievance for as long as I’ve known him. Resentment, grievance, anger. And he has signaled–in the past to lower courts, to state legislatures, “Find cases. Pass laws. Get them up. I may not win the first, the second or the third time, but we’re going to keep at it.”

KING: So you’re saying people pay attention to this?

CLINTON: Yeah. The people he is speaking to, which are–the, you know, right wing, very conservative judges, and justices and state legislatures. And the thing that–is–well, there are so many things about it that are deeply distressing–but women are going to die, Gayle–

KING: Yes. Yes.

CLINTON: Women will die.

Part 2:

KING: –as we sit here today, you know, last week–the Roe v. Wade decision was made. And even though we had gotten a heads up, many people thought it was unthinkable. A lot of people are still processing. What did you think when you heard it?

CLINTON: Well, I was not surprised, because I think that was the goal of packing the Court with justice who were on the record for many years of–being against–women’s–Constitutional rights to make decisions about our own bodies. I was deeply–sorry that it actually happened. But now that it has happened, I think everybody understands that this is not necessarily the only effort that we’re going to see this Court undertake to turn back the clock on civil rights–

KING: On other issues.

CLINTON: –and gay rights, and women’s rights beyond abortion … This is going to, I hope, wake up a lot of Americans. I don’t care what political party or religion you are, the question is, “Who decides?” Is the government going to be in your bedroom? Is the government going to be making these decisions? We are only at the beginning of this–terrible travesty that this Court has–inflicted on us.

KING: And what do you say to supporters, though, who say, “Listen, we are protecting the rights of unborn children. They have rights, too”? What do you say to that?

CLINTON: You know–

KING: That seems to be the core argument.

CLINTON: I–I say that–you know, that is predominantly a–belief rooted in religion, which I respect. And that’s why, in a pluralistic democracy like ours, the Court and Roe v. Wade said, “The government is not going to make this decision. If it is your personal belief, based on whatever, that there is no legitimate basis for abortion, even if you’re in the hospital and you’re bleeding out, even if you’re told that you have cancer and chemotherapy is necessary and therefore an abortion is necessary, no matter what, you get to make that decision” … I might not agree with it, but you get to make that decision. But you and those who support your particular point of view cannot dictate that decision to every other woman.” And, you know, for many years, the abortion rate was going down. We were seeing–I think greater–responsibility, especially with the use of contraception. So what is it they’re–what is their ultimate–goal here, if they begin to chip away at all of these rights? It truly is to–erase the progress that women have made from the last 150 years.

KING: You know, a couple of the senators have said that they were misled by the justices. Does this–does this say to you that we need to change the confirmation hearing process?

CLINTON: Well, I think they were–misled–in part– because they wanted to be misled. They had–

KING: You think they knew that–

CLINTON: Oh–

KING: –this was going to happen?

CLINTON: They either knew or they were blind to what the history of the people before them … Anyone who is surprised by this is not paying attention. So these people were selected for this purpose. And it was a 50-year campaign. And you’ve gotta give the other side, you know, lots of points for their relentlessness, their–total commitment to getting what they want done regardless of who’s hurt by it and regardless of who’s stripped of rights. But you–

KING: Is this a time for the Democrats to take on the filibuster, do you think?

CLINTON: Well, I–I’ve been saying for quite some time I think the filibuster is–should be eliminated, at the very least for Constitutional questions like voting rights, like a woman’s–you know, Constitutional rights to make decisions about her own body. So if you can’t lift it completely, lift it for those two things that have huge consequences for our country.

KING: And last question. You were–a former first lady, former secretary of state, former senator. Do you miss the day-to-day of politics? Is there any scenario in your brain (LAUGH) that you would think, “I wanna get back in?”

CLINTON: No. But I–I miss it, bec–I–I miss it–

KING: There–but there’s no scenario in 2024 (LAUGH) that you would even remotely consider?

CLINTON: You know, I–I can’t imagine it. I really can’t. I–but what I–

KING: That’s not a “no.”

CLINTON: (LAUGH) Well, but what I can imagine is staying as active and outspoken as I can, because I think–I–I think our country’s really on the precipice, Gayle. I think that we are looking at not only the erosion of these rights, the–throwing the door open to unfettered, unregulated gun access, but we’re also looking at dismantling the federal government, how it protects our air, and our water, and everything else that goes along with it–

KING: Do you think our democracy’s at stake? We’re looking at–

CLINTON: I do.

KING: –the Jan. 6 hearings.

CLINTON: I do.

KING: You think the democracy is at stake–

CLINTON: I do.

KING: –as we sit here today?

CLINTON: I do. I–

KING: Will anything come of these hearings? People say–some say it’s a waste of time.

CLINTON: I–I think these hearings have been–incredibly powerful. I understand a lot of people pay no attention, but history pays attention. I hope the Justice Department is paying attention. I hope in these midterm elections–candidates and the Democratic Party– pay attention. Because you cannot let those who attacked our Capitol and those who urged them on to do so act with impunity. That’s what happens in dictatorships and authoritarian regimes … So I think it’s important that people recognize if there were ever a time to vote and to vote, literally, for your rights and our future, it’s this midterm.

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