A Wisconsin pro-life organization recently came under attack and a pro-abortion group took credit for it, yet CNN’s Kate Bolduan could not bring herself to ask the state’s junior senator and the Madison area’s former representative, Tammy Baldwin, about it on Wednesday’s At This Hour. Instead, she wondered why Baldwin isn’t concerned about Democratic unity on the issue and refused to fact check her pro-abortion spin.
After Baldwin claimed the purpose of the Wednesday Senate is to make life difficult for Republicans, Bolduan chimed in, “But it also now, it isn't all, it isn’t just Republicans now. It is your Democratic colleague Joe Manchin who’s going to be voting against your bill. He says it goes too far. I mean, is this a surprise to you?”
Baldwin dodged the question, “I am a co-sponsor, as you mentioned, of the Women's Health Protection Act and what it does is first codify Roe v. Wade, but then because we've seen hundreds of bills introduced in many paths and states across the country that restrict access to abortion care and full reproductive freedom for women, we also take the step of making it clear that a state cannot impede this constitutionally protected right as so many have.”
The WHPA goes further than Roe, but instead of correcting Baldwin, Bolduan just noted that Democrats are in an awkward situation, “can you speak to Joe Manchin's concerns and his no vote then? Because that's not a good look for Democrats if you're looking for unity to stand up in the face of this.”
Baldwin then falsely claimed that Manchin is wrong, “Yeah, well, I think his interpretation of the bill is incorrect” and immediately unwittingly proved it when she added “it keeps the states from interfering with Roe v. Wade and restricting access. That's the additional provisions of the Women's Health Protection Act.”
For her final question, Bolduan asked about Baldwin’s stance on the filibuster which is odd considering Democrats do not even have 50 votes. More outrageously, she did not even mention the Wisconsin Family Action attack in the district she used to represent.
Nor did other Wednesday morning cable shows. CNN’s New Day did not ask Dick Durbin for comment, but did ask about demonstrations in front of justices’ homes. CNN Newsroom did not seek a comment from Elizabeth Warren, and MSNBC’s Jose Diaz-Balart Reports did not confront California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia about the attacks.
This segment was sponsored by Hello Fresh.
Here is a transcript for the May 11 show:
CNN At This Hour with Kate Bolduan
5/11/2022
11:41 AM ET
KATE BOLDUAN: But it also now, it isn't all, it isn’t just Republicans now. It is your Democratic colleague Joe Manchin who’s going to be voting against your bill. He says it goes too far. I mean, is this a surprise to you?
TAMMY BALDWIN: Yeah, let me talk about-- I am a co-sponsor, as you mentioned, of the Women's Health Protection Act and what it does is first codify Roe v. Wade, but then because we've seen hundreds of bills introduced in many paths and states across the country that restrict access to abortion care and full reproductive freedom for women, we also take the step of making it clear that a state cannot impede this constitutionally protected right as so many have.
And that's all it does. And so I think we're been very clear that we're on the side of fighting for women's freedom and constitutional rights, and again, I want to say, if you let it revert to the states, Wisconsin has a statute on the books that was passed in 1849. That's how old our abortion law is, that makes it illegal. It would imprison doctors, and we shouldn't be sent back to the mid-1800s.
BOLDUAN: Can you also, can you speak to Joe Manchin's concerns and his no vote then? Because that's not a good look for Democrats if you're looking for unity to stand up in the face of this.
BALDWIN: Yeah, well, I think his interpretation of the bill is incorrect. When he says it goes a lot further, actually, it keeps the states from interfering with Roe v. Wade and restricting access. That's the additional provisions of the Women's Health Protection Act and they need to be there because look how many states have taken action like the Texas law that allows vigilantes to go out and try to find anybody who aided or abetted an abortion.
BOLDUAN: You’ve said that you support, we know that this vote is going to fail. You want to get people on the record on this vote. You have said though also that you support opening up the filibuster to codify abortion rights nationally and Dick Durbin, your fellow Democrat, was on this morning and suggested a change in the voting rules at this point is not going to happen. How serious are you about this? Are you taking this up with leadership?
BALDWIN: I certainly believe that it is high time when we're dealing with fundamental constitutional rights, whether that be the right to vote or a woman's freedom to control her own body and her health care and choose when or whether to have a family, that those are so fundamental to our democracy that we should be either reforming or doing away with the filibuster. I understand the math and know that it's very unlikely to happen given our attempts around voting rights to have a talking filibuster, we didn’t actually try to repeal it outright. But I believe that we ought to be changing the Senate rules when it comes to fundamental constitutional rights.
BOLDUAN: Senator Tammy Baldwin, thank you for coming in.
