Elizabeth Warren: Republicans Want to Go Back to a Time When Women Died

On Sunday’s State of the Union, Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke to CNN anchor Jake Tapper about Planned Parenthood and the GOP’s fight to end funding, saying Republicans are going to have “a real fight” if they want to shut down access to cancer screenings for women.

The Massachusetts senator spoke impassionedly about Planned Parenthood and the GOP’s fight to defund women’s healthcare:

“One in every 5 women in America, sometime in her life, will get her healthcare from Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood, what does it mostly do? 97% of what Planned Parenthood does is about cancer screenings, screenings for STDs, about birth control. Planned Parenthood is in – more than half of all the Planned Parenthood clinics are in places where there is limited access to healthcare. So for many people, for many women, is there only healthcare provider, sometimes their principle healthcare provider—And the Republicans say the first issue that we’ve got to discuss, the number one thing, everything else can go forward on the budget or we can cut, everything else, the first thing we’ve to do is defund Planned Parenthood. That means defunding healthcare for women.”

She continued, “Even though not one federal dollar goes to pay for abortions through Planned Parenthood, the Republicans want to find one more way to make it harder, to make it impossible, for a woman who is facing one of the most difficult decisions of her life, they want to find a way to make it harder on her to get the healthcare she needs.”

Warren pointed out the Republicans’ efforts could go back to when it was a more dangerous time for women. “When I talk about 1955, I’m talking about a world when women died. I’m talking about a world when women committed suicide rather than go forward with a pregnancy they could not handle. And what the Republicans are saying is that they want to go back. And I want to make sure we are not going back. Not now, not ever.”

Warren also talked about Donald Trump and Jeb Bush endorsing closing the loophole when it comes to hedge fund managers.“It means that even when your ears are stuffed with money, you get a little sound that comes through,” she said. “And that’s what’s happening here. It’s like, hello? Yeah, billionaires should not be paying taxes at a lower rate than teachers and firefighters. And that has even seeped through to a few of the rich guys on the other side. Stunner.”