Sen. Patty Murray: There could be '5 men empowered to overturn Roe v. Wade’

Kim Malcolm talks with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray about her opposition to Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On why she’s voting against Judge Kavanagh

If he is confirmed, there will be five men on United States Supreme Court who will be empowered to overturn Roe v. Wade and take us back to days when women didn’t have the option for safe, legal abortion.

On his comments that he would “follow Roe v. Wade faithfully”

We’ve had several nominees that have had the same answer on precedent coming through, and they’re now sitting on the court, including Neil Gorsuch, who the minute he got on the court has had at least three opinions that overturned precedent, the most recent being the Janus case, which was decided last week.

So those words don’t mean much to me from a nominee who is trying to get confirmed. What is important to me is that they say, 'I will not overturn Roe v Wade' — make that very clear. This judge will not do that, I guarantee it.

On voting against Kavanagh in 2006.

Nothing has changed.

He has authored opinions that directly contradict Roe v. Wade by restricting a woman’s access. He sided very explicitly with employers who refuse to cover contraception. He has openly criticized Chief Justice John Roberts, who he says saved the Affordable Care Act.

On Sens. Merkowski of Alaska and Collins of Maine — Republican women who support access to abortion

I have not talked to them personally, but I can tell you this: They will vote on what their constituents say to them. That’s why it is so important right now to have people understand what is at stake for this nominee to this Supreme Court at this time in our nation’s history. People need to understand you can’t sit back and wait.

I watched President Trump say when he took office that he was going to overturn the Affordable Care Act in the first month in office. That did not happen and it lost by three votes. Why? Because people stood up across the country and let their member of Congress know they did not support that.

Produced for the Web by Isolde Raftery.