For Immediate Release: 12/13/2023
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
AUDIO & RUSH TRANSCRIPT: GOVERNOR HOCHUL CALLS OUT TEXAS ABORTION BAN ON CNN’S THIS MORNING
Governor Hochul: “This is the nightmare that every woman has feared since we actually got the leaked memo about the Dobbs decision, that it would go against 50 years of rights that women fought so hard for. My mother's generation fought for those rights. I benefited from those rights. And now those rights will not be there for my daughter and my granddaughter. So that is, to me personally, it's abhorrent. And as a woman, it's tragic.”
Hochul: “We're pro-women. We're pro human rights. We're pro freedom for women. We're freedom loving here in the state of New York. We don't think that MAGA judges and an Attorney General from the state of Texas who's just trying to elevate his profile and get more clicks and be the darling of the MAGA right, they should not be the ones who make these determinations.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul appeared on CNN’s This Morning.
AUDIO of the event is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
Phil Mattingly, CNN: Joining us now, Democratic Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, we appreciate your time, Governor, welcome.
Governor Hochul: Good morning.
Phil Mattingly, CNN: I want to start on Texas because I think this is a very, very central issue, not just politically, but I think it's people trying to understand the post-Roe environment in particular states. What was your response when you saw it play out?
Governor Hochul: This is the nightmare that every woman has feared since we actually got the leaked memo about the Dobbs decision, that it would go against 50 years of rights that women fought so hard for. My mother's generation fought for those rights. I benefited from those rights. And now those rights will not be there for my daughter and my granddaughter. So that is, to me personally, it's abhorrent. And as a woman, it's tragic, but as a Governor, I have a different philosophy on this. And we'll talk about that, what we're doing next November on the ballot in the State.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about so abortion is going to be on the ballot it is going to be on the ballot to codify that right in this State as people go also to vote on, which is amazing that we don't have it yet, an Equal Rights Amendment in this country for women. Why is it important in a state like New York where you don't really have the threat from the legislature of getting rid of abortion rights to have that codified on the ballot this way?
Governor Hochul: There actually are threats. I mean, there was an election for Governor last year and there was an opponent who had said that he would put in a pro-life Health Commissioner. Health Commissioners have a lot of power. That could have happened right here in the state of New York, regardless of what the law says. So as soon as we heard about Dobbs, I convened the Legislature in an emergency session. I said, “let's get this codified not just in State law, but enshrined in our State constitution.” So future Governors, whatever their philosophy may be, if it's if it's at odds with these values, that they will not be able to successfully strip those rights away from New York women. And I'm calling on all state Governors, regardless of your own philosophy, let the women of your state decide. It happened in Kentucky. It happened in Ohio. Put it on the ballot. Let these women decide their own destiny and not have a bunch of MAGA men determining the outcome of their lives and indeed their health.
Phil Mattingly, CNN: You make a point, the electoral success on abortion that Democrats have had on this issue over the course – not just the midterm elections, but also the off-year election as well. New York is going to be center stage for the House of Representatives to some degree. To somebody would say you're just putting this on the ballot, given it's a blue state because you want to juice turnout for the midterm or for 2024.
Governor Hochul: That's pretty cynical because as you pointed out, we don't even have an Equal Rights Amendment in the state of New York. So we are enshrining many rights: reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, rights for people with disabilities. We're enshrining all the rights that could be jeopardized by future Governors and putting them on the ballot. This was a decision that was made prior to the Dobbs decision, I assure you, because it takes two cycles of the Legislature. So now we've gone through four years ago. So I would say I disagree with that assessment, but this is time for a place like New York to stand up, be a beacon of hope and really be the safe harbor. Women of Texas, businesses in Texas who employ women, where people have wives and daughters and mothers, come to New York, come to a place like this, make a statement.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: Do you see this as an economic case to be made to bring a lot of business that has fled to states like Florida and Texas because of some of their more, seen as pro-business policies or tax structure, etc., as coming back here as a result of that?
Governor Hochul: First of all, we are pro-business in the State.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: I knew you were going to say that, but you know the counterargument.
Governor Hochul: But also we're pro-women. We're pro human rights. We're pro freedom for women. We're freedom loving here in the state of New York. We don't think that MAGA judges and an Attorney General from the state of Texas who's just trying to elevate his profile and get more clicks and be the darling of the MAGA right, they should not be the ones who make these determinations. So after the Dobbs decision, I literally took out a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal and said, “if you value your freedoms of your employees and your workers come to New York where they will be protected.” In other states, other states where we actually honor women, respect them and think that they should be able to determine what happens to their own body. And not have someone say to a young mother, Kate Cox, 31-year-old mother, who wanted to grow her family and was so devastated when she found out that her baby had a fetal genetic disease that could result in death upon, even earlier, pre-term death, or as soon as a baby is born, it would die or the mother could die. I mean, this is what the exception of the Texas law provided and the judges still went against her. This shakes you to a core as a woman and it is it is so reprehensible. I'm proud to stand up, not just for New York women, but all across America and say this is wrong. This is our country, America, in 2024, almost. What have we come to? We must stand up at election time and change the course of history.
Phil Mattingly, CNN: You mentioned the election, I'm not connecting the two here, but there was a pretty significant moment yesterday in the state of New York in terms of redistricting, where that might head going forward. Is it your sense right now that Democrats will as aggressively pursue specific maps as they did with the maps and end up being overturned?
Governor Hochul: My view is this, as Governor, I have to make sure that the process plays out according to law. That's all this was about. And a judge in the rural part of New York had a different determination on who had those rights. And the Court of Appeals, that predated the Court of Appeals that I had some say over, they had a different opinion on this. I'm not putting my finger on the scale saying it would be good for Democrats or Republicans, it's not my job. My job is to say the process is an Independent Redistricting Commission decides it, and if they can't come to a decision, the State Legislature decides, not a rural judge. That's all we're talking about here.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: It is seen as going to be a big boon for Democrats. We'll watch as it plays out.
Governor Hochul: We shall see.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: We shall see. Governor, nice to have you. Thank you very much.
Governor Hochul: Thank you.
Poppy Harlow, CNN: Appreciate it.
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For Immediate Release: 12/13/2023
GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL
VIDEO, AUDIO, PHOTOS & RUSH TRANSCRIPT: GOVERNOR HOCHUL DELIVERS REMARKS ON SUPREME COURT’S DECISION TO RULE ON ABORTION PILL ACCESS
Governor Hochul: “And as the Governor of New York, as a female Governor of New York, this is something that women of this state need to know that I'll keep fighting for their rights and letting the rest of the nation know that this is a harbor, a safe harbor for all of you to come to should these rights be jeopardized and stripped away by the MAGA Supreme Court.”
Hochul: “Over half of abortions in America are by medication assisted treatment that allows people to do this in the privacy of their home and not have to have a major surgical procedure. And this is not just going to affect MAGA states like Texas and Mississippi where abortion is already restricted, but actually a state like New York. And here's why, if they determined that the FDA was inappropriate in allowing this to be used for abortion, they could ban this across the entire nation.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks on the Supreme Court’s decision to rule on abortion pill access.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.
PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
I want to acknowledge that we just, in the last 90 minutes or so, received some very disturbing news from the Supreme Court of the United States. Remember, these are the same nine justices who, a year and a half ago, overturned Roe v. Wade, setting back American women 50 years in terms of their progress toward freedom, reproductive freedom.
So, they've decided that they are going to take up the case that could ban medication abortions nationwide in a very short time. And again, over half of abortions in America are by medication assisted treatment that allows people to do this in the privacy of their home and not have to have a major surgical procedure.
And this is not just going to affect MAGA states like Texas and Mississippi where abortion is already restricted, but actually a state like New York. And here's why, if they determined that the FDA was inappropriate in allowing this to be used for abortion, they could ban this across the entire nation.
Now, we'd had an idea that this could happen, so that's why we immediately took action. When we first learned that they were going to be attempting to restrict this, immediately, we secured a five-year supply of this medication – 150,000 doses. So, if there is a banning of this, that New York would have a stockpile at least to have this available for the next five years for the women of New York.
And also, when the Dobbs decision was leaked – remember that memo that came out that we found out even before the decision came out in June of 2022 that we would take immediate action, allocating $35 million to go to abortion providers, anticipating an increase in volume when you look at the fact that women must be going somewhere or else they're being forced to have these government mandated pregnancies.
Even a state like Texas, at one time had 50,000 abortions or about 38 in the last year. So, it's extraordinary. So, we wanted to establish New York as a safe harbor, making sure that we had protections, a shield law to protect any provider that would dispense medication in order to help an out of state individual receive an abortion.
We also had an extraordinary session to ensure that these rights would be protected, not just in our state law, but also enshrined in our constitution, and that'll be on the ballot next November. So, bottom line is women are scared across America. They saw what happened in Texas. They're now at risk of losing this simpler way that relieves a lot of the stress from an abortion by having the medication assisted and that's in danger right now.
And as the Governor of New York, as a female Governor of New York, this is something that women of this state need to know, that I'll keep fighting for their rights and letting the rest of the nation know that this is a harbor, a safe harbor for all of you to come to should these rights be jeopardized and stripped away by the MAGA Supreme Court.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2023
Attorney General’s Press Office/212-416-8060 nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov
Attorney General James Leads Multistate Coalition
Condemning Texas Supreme Court Decision
Upholding the State’s Dangerous Abortion Ban
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 11 attorneys general released the following statement after the Texas Supreme Court denied abortion access to Kate Cox, a pregnant woman whose health and life were at risk as a result of a lethal fetal diagnosis. Ms. Cox was forced to travel out of state to receive abortion care.
“No one should be forced to fight in court and leave their home state just to receive the health care they need. As this case shows, abortion bans pose dangerous health and safety threats wherever they are enacted. Decisions about abortion care should be made between patients and their doctors, not politicians. We will continue to fight to ensure everyone has the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions.”
On December 8, the Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s ruling that would have allowed Ms. Cox to obtain an abortion under the exception to the state’s abortion bans permitting abortions in cases of risks to the pregnant person’s life. On December 11, the Texas Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s decision, preventing Ms. Cox from seeking an abortion, even though she had learned that her fetus had a fatal genetic condition and her doctor had testified that continuing to carry the pregnancy would jeopardize her life, her health, and her future fertility. The court found the legislative exception to Texas’s abortion bans did not encompass Ms. Cox’s condition because she had not shown it was sufficiently “life threatening.”
Joining Attorney General James in condemning the Texas Supreme Court’s decision are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
Attorney General James has been a national leader in protecting abortion access. Earlier in December, she obtained a court order stopping a militant anti-abortion group from blocking access to reproductive health care clinics in 13 counties across the state. In October, she led a multistate coalition urging the Supreme Court to protect access to medication abortion nationwide after leading the same coalition in filing a series of briefs in the district court and the court of appeals. In September, Attorney General James took action to protect abortion access at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. In March, Attorney General James, together with Governor Hochul, sent a letter to the CEOs of Walgreens (owner of Duane Reade), Rite Aid, and CVS to demand answers about the companies’ plans to make the abortion medication mifepristone available in New York state. Attorney General James has also fought to preserve access to abortion care in medical emergencies, leading a series of briefs in support of the United States Department of Health and Human Services interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Following the Supreme Court’s decision to end Roe v. Wade, Attorney General James launched a pro bono legal hotline to provide legal support to patients and healthcare providers nationwide. Prior to the fall of Roe, Attorney General James helped lead coalitions of attorneys general to fight restrictive abortion bans in Arizona, Indiana, and Mississippi.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2023
Biden-Harris 2024 on the Supreme Court’s Decision to Review Fifth Circuit Decision on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine
The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez-Rodriguez on the Supreme Court’s Decision to Review Fifth Circuit Decision on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine:
“MAGA Republicans – led by Donald Trump – are marching this country toward a full-on national abortion ban, and if the Supreme Court strips away access to safe and effective medication abortion next year, it will be the latest step towards achieving that goal. In the year and a half since Trump’s Supreme Court overturned Roe, we’ve seen MAGA Republicans across the country rip away access to reproductive health care with devastating effects: women and girls forced to carry life-threatening pregnancies, doctors threatened with prosecution for doing their jobs, and bans enacted with no exceptions for rape or incest. Look no further than the case we just saw play out in Texas for evidence of what Trump’s America looks like. Restricting access to safe and effective medication abortion would expand this reality nationwide, even in states where abortion remains legal. Voters won’t stand for Republicans attacking their personal freedoms, and that’s exactly what’s at stake in this election.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2023
ICYMI: Biden Campaign Slams Trump’s Cruel Abortion Legacy
This week, Americans across the country heard yet another story of a woman who was forced to flee her home state to receive critical reproductive health care after Republican politicians in Texas denied her the care she needed. The chaos and cruelty created by draconian laws like the one in Texas are a direct result of Donald Trump’s Supreme Court appointees, who provided the deciding votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.
As Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Communications Director Michael Tyler laid out on a press call this morning, Trump and MAGA Republicans aren't stopping here. If elected, they will push to enact a national abortion ban that would make the nightmare women and girls are living in states like Texas a reality for Americans across the country.
In case you missed it:
CNN: Biden campaign sharpens its attacks on Trump over abortion restrictions amid Texas case
“The Biden campaign is sharpening its efforts to call out former President Donald Trump for what it casts as ‘chaos and cruelty’ on the issue of abortion as women across the country grapple with a patchwork of tightening restrictions.
“The crux of their message: ‘Donald Trump is to blame.’”
USA Today: Biden campaign says Kate Cox abortion case shows 'chaos and cruelty' of post-Roe laws
“The campaign, which has promised to put reproductive rights ‘front and center’ of the 2024 presidential campaign, pounced on the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that Cox, a Dallas area mother carrying a fetus with a fatal condition, did not qualify for an abortion under state laws based on her doctor's ‘good faith belief’ that she needs the procedure.”
The Gander: Biden campaign blames Trump for growing anti-abortion extremism
“The consequences of Republican-passed abortion bans continue to be felt across the country and President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is ramping up criticism of the man who paved the path for these laws: Donald Trump.
“‘Extreme MAGA Republicans in Missouri are following Trump’s lead by renewing a push to charge women who receive reproductive health care with murder,’ Chavez-Rodriguez said in a statement on Monday. ‘This is just the latest in a series of cruel and draconian laws proposed by Republicans made possible in the year and a half since Trump’s Supreme Court justices provided the critical votes to overturn Roe.’”
The Washington Examiner: Biden campaign portrays Texas abortion restrictions as Trump's ban
“President Joe Biden's campaign is underscoring former President Donald Trump's role in restricting abortion rights across the country after Texas's Supreme Court prevented a woman from undergoing the procedure.
“The campaign's amplification of Kate Cox's lawsuit and Trump's appointment of federal Supreme Court justices who helped repeal Roe v. Wade comes as the former president remains the 2024 Republican primary front-runner. Aides have been warning that Republicans will pursue a national abortion ban after the issue energized voters before last year's midterm elections.”
The Messenger: Biden-Harris Campaign Blames ‘Unspeakable Reality’ of Anti-Abortion Policies on Donald Trump
“Since the downfall of Roe v. Wade last year, which was made possible after Trump tapped three different justices for the Supreme Court in his four-year term, 13 states have passed nearly complete bans on abortions, forcing citizens seeking the procedure to travel out of state to receive care…
“‘This is happening right here in the United States of America. It's happening because of Donald Trump. As Trump probably brags, to this day. It was his supreme court picks who provided the deciding votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing Republican extremists across the country to pass draconian bans that are hurting women and threatening doctors,’ Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Biden's reelection campaign manager said on the call. ‘As the chaos and cruelty created by Trump's work overturning Roe v. Wade continues to worsen all across the country. Stories like [Kate] Cox's and Texas have become all too common.’”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2023
LISTEN: Biden-Harris Campaign Blasts Trump’s Abortion Legacy
Today, Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler hosted a press call to condemn Donald Trump’s anti-choice legacy and highlight how it is impacting women across the country. During the call they laid out the dire threat a second Trump term in the White House would pose to women across the country.
LISTEN HERE
Read highlights from the press call below:
“Last night, a group of judges in Texas told a woman, Kate Cox, that she cannot receive health care that could determine if she lives or dies — this is the reality of Donald Trump’s [abortion] bans. …As Trump proudly brags to this day, it was his Supreme Court picks who provided the deciding votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing Republican extremists across the country to pass draconian bans that are hurting women and threatening doctors. As the chaos and cruelty created by Trump’s work overturning Roe v. Wade continues to worsen all across the country, stories like Kate Cox’s in Texas have become all too common,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “If Trump or other Republicans running for president get to the White House, they will try to ban abortion nationally and the horrifying and unacceptable reality that women like Kate Cox in Texas are facing could be the reality even in states where abortion is currently legal. President Biden and Vice President Harris are the only candidates in this race who will defend a woman’s right to choose, and that will be on the ballot this upcoming November.”
“Long before the fall of Roe, the president and vice president have been warning against the attacks on Americans’ freedoms. … Since Roe was overturned, Americans have made their voices clear: They don’t want their rights and freedoms taken away from them — and yet Trump promises to rule as a dictator on day one so he can force through this unpopular and toxic agenda. So, I want to be very clear: If Trump is reelected, we will face the reality of a nightmare scenario, and that’s a national abortion ban,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler. “Donald Trump can’t run away from his record and his abortion legacy. These stories that are coming out of states with abortion bans that he helped make possible are devastating. … and we know more are going to come — and in every single case, we will make sure the American people know that Donald Trump is to blame. … Reelecting President Biden means having a president who will veto a national abortion ban and will fight to restore Roe so that once again, women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions. This is the clear, stark, and life-changing choice Americans will have in November 2024.”
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