Over the weekend, CNN host Fredricka Whitfield reacted to the new Florida and Oklahoma laws banning abortion by bringing on abortion clinic owner Amy Hagstrom Miller, who has been a frequent guest on the liberal news network over the last several months.
Correspondent Nadia Romero set up the segment with a pre-recorded piece recalling the recent passage of the new laws, and highlighted the concerns of pro-abortion activists. Whitfield began by teeing up Miller: "So your reaction to these new laws?" It prompted Miller to complain:
It's sad to see this because these values and these laws do not represent the feelings and beliefs of the majority of people in this country. Most people support access to safe abortion to be local in their communities. All of us knows somebody and loves somebody who's needed an abortion at some point in their lives. And our loved ones deserve respect and compassion. They don't deserve to be forced to travel and sort of navigate the stigma-ridden, shame-filled abortion restrictions.
"All our loved ones deserve respect?" Someone in the abortion isn't loved.
As Whitfield served up softballs to her guest, Miller further asserted that "These laws are designed to confuse people -- to scare people..."
The pro-abortion activist has been a recurring guest on Whitfield's show to complain about new abortion restrictions. Back in October, Whitfield began: "Amy, so good to see you again. So now give us the latest. And how are you gauging desperate measures women are taking to get care across state lines right now?"
In September, Whitfield cited President Joe Biden calling Texas's pro-life law "almost un-American," and even used the uber-politically correct term "pregnant person" as she set up a segment with Miller. Whitfield fretted:
The law allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who assists a pregnant woman -- person seeking an abortion in violation of the law. It also bans abortions after as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and that's before many women even know that they are pregnant. President Biden is denouncing the new law, calling it "almost un-American," saying it creates a sort of vigilante system.
This episode of CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield was sponsored in part by Whole Foods Market.
Transcripts follow:
CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
April 16, 2022
11:41 a.m.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. A wave of new anti-abortion laws hitting four states this week. Florida is the latest after Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. That's without any exemptions for rape or incest. CNN's Nadia Romero is here with more on all this. Nadia?
NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, I mean, we look at all of these states that are following this trend, and really sparked with two states -- Texas and Mississippi -- Mississippi back in 2018 that passed their 15-week abortion ban. Now, that case is before the Supreme Court. Then, it was Texas back in September with their six-week abortion ban that many called a "heartbeat bill," and that went into effect in September. Since then, Republican-led -- controlled legislatures all over the country have been passing these restrictive abortion bans. And we saw Florida and Oklahoma adding themselves to that growing list just this week.
ROMERO (pre-recorded): Using their voices and risking their freedoms, (clip of protesters) Kate Danehy-Samitz and Sarah Parker lead Women's Voices of Southwest Florida -- a nonprofit organized to defend reproductive freedoms:
CLIP OF AD: We have to speak up.
ROMERO: The group helped raise awareness when the Manatee County Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility of introducing an abortion ban.
SARAH PARKER, WOMEN'S VOICES OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: I had to sit down, and I cried. We had put so many hours and so much time in that, and we won something.
ROMERO: But their message was not loud enough to drown out the will of Florida's legislature and the governor.
PARKER: It makes me angry, and it makes me sad, and it makes me worried. It feels like we're going backwards.
ROMERO: This week, Governor Ron DeSantis signing a 15-week abortion ban into law without exemptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking.
GOVERNOR RON DeSANTIS (R-FL): This will represent the most significant protections for life that have been enacted in this state in a generation.
ROMERO: Two days before DeSantis, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes performing an abortion a felony except in the case of a medical emergency.
GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT (R-OK): We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country. We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma.
ROMERO: And also this week, Kentucky's GOP-led legislature overrode the governor's veto of a bill that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. So far, 18 states have introduced legislation banning or limiting access to most abortions - 14 states have passed their restrictive legislation. Three states so far this year -- Kentucky, Florida and Arizona -- following a 2018 Mississippi law prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Now, some Democratic-controlled legislatures aim to protect the rights of Roe v. Wade with new bills of their own. Maryland lawmakers expanding access to abortion.
ADRIENNE JONES, MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES SPEAKER: We are preparing for some of the most restrictive abortion actions that we've seen in a generation.
ROMERO: And Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer filing a lawsuit to challenge the state's almost 100-year-old abortion ban. even though it's unenforceable due to Roe v. Wade.
GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): We've got to take this current assault on women's rights seriously and use every tool we have to fight back. This is not just a theoretical risk -- this is a real and present danger.
ROMERO: With many states re-writing their abortion laws, all eyes point to the Supreme Court. The court heard arguments on the Mississippi law back in December. Legal experts argue a decision could be handed down in June right before summer break with pro-abortion activists continuing their fight to the highest court in the land.
PARKER: Maybe they will come back and say -- stand behind Roe versus Wade. I hope that they do, and I want to believe so.
ROMERO: So Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also signed another bill into law that provides aid for mentorship and educational programs for fathers in Florida. It also comes with $70 million for use in family support services, but really, Fred, that's a sidebar to this 15-week abortion ban that the governor signed. And we're seeing legal contesting all across the country with different groups like the ACLU battling against these legislatures as they push forward with these abortion bans.
WHITFIELD: Well, all right, thank you so much -- I really appreciate that. We're going to talk about this even further. For more on these abortion laws, I want to bring in Amy Hagstrom Miller. She is the CEO of Whole Women's [sic] Health, which has abortion clinics nationwide. Amy, good to see you. So your reaction to these new laws?
AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, WHOLE WOMAN'S HEALTH: You know, unfortunately, I'm not surprised. I think we've seen this turn across the country when the status of the Supreme Court changed. It's sad to see this because these values and these laws do not represent the feelings and beliefs of the majority of people in this country.
Most people support access to safe abortion to be local in their communities. All of us knows somebody and loves somebody who's needed an abortion at some point in their lives. And our loved ones deserve respect and compassion. They don't deserve to be forced to travel and sort of navigate the stigma-ridden, shame-filled abortion restrictions.
WHITFIELD: So then how is your clinic helping people navigate the confusion that comes with some of these laws?
MILLER: Sure. So you're absolutely right that these laws are designed to confuse people, to scare people, to delay their access. These laws don't do anything to prevent the need for abortion or to support people to plan their families. They just ban abortion and force people to travel. At Whole Woman's Health, we have clinics in what are considered haven states. And we also have clinics in places like Texas and Indiana. And so we have already been helping people travel from Texas to other places in the country where they can get access to safe abortion.
Keep in mind that the travel is actually more dangerous than the abortion itself. Abortion is very safe, and it should be available locally in people's communities. And people shouldn't have to travel hundreds of miles and wait, you know, four to six weeks to have a procedure that is mainstream medicine and that almost, you know, 40 percent of people will need at some point in their lifetime. This isn't an extreme issue. This is directly connected to the status of women and the health and safety of our families.
WHITFIELD: So, as you mentioned, from Texas to Indiana, what are the populations that are most impacted by these restrictions?
MILLER: Yes, thank you for asking that because these restrictions have much more impact on young people, on people of color, on people who don't have health insurance, and who don't have the means to travel to get the abortion that they need. Texas is already one of the lowest in maternal mortality outcomes even before these restrictions on abortion. Texas also has very few people with health insurance. And these impacts really effect those communities much more profoundly, and I think we're seeing a division in this country both between the haven states and the restricted states. But we're also seeing divisions in people's access to health care generally in their communities.
And abortion has directly linked to the status of women in this country. Access to safe abortion over the last 50 years has made our communities healthier, has made maternal mortality healthier, has made people's families healthier. And I think it's time we need to talk about the positive outcomes of access to safe abortion in this country over the last 50 years.
WHITFIELD: So now what advice do you have for women in states like Florida and Oklahoma, which have just enacted, you know, abortion bans similar to the one in Texas that your clinic continues to challenge?
MILLER: So my advice for people is to know that abortion is still legal in this country, that the people who are trying to restrict your access to safe abortion don't reflect the values of the majority of people here. There are multiple networks in this country that are here to help you -- abortion funds, abortion clinics. We are here to guide you to the place where you can still get access to safe abortion.
There are many networks helping people with travel, helping people with funding. Whole Woman's Health and others all across the country are really trying to work together to mitigate the damage and the harm that is already being done by bills like SB8 and the copycats across the country. And we are preparing for the infrastructure that's going to be needed to help people after the Dobbs decision comes down this summer.
WHITFIELD: All right, Amy Hagstrom Miller, good to see you. Thank you so much.
(...)
October 9, 2021
12:06 p.m.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: All right, back now to the battle in Texas over abortion rights, which was our top story this hour. A federal appeals court reinstated the state's restrictive abortion law, essentially banning procedures once again. Joining us now to talk about what all of this means is the founder and CEO of Whole Woman's Health, which operates several clinics in Texas and in a handful of other states, Amy Hagstrom Miller. Amy, so good to see you again. So now give us the latest. And how are you gauging desperate measures women are taking to get care across state lines right now?
AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, WHOLE WOMAN'S HEALTH: So it's ground zero in Texas right now. We had to cancel appointments ... (audio gap) ... the reversal of the injunction yesterday. And it's just heartbreaking. Pregnant folks have been on just a roller coaster. Many of them need us to provide care for them. So now we're back to where we were a few days ago. We can only provide care up until about six weeks into the pregnancy, and then folks who are over that point need to either figure out how to travel out of state -- which for most of our patients is really difficult because they're parenting and they're juggling jobs and school during a pandemic. And other folks are just kind of in a wait-and-see game wondering if they'll be able to prevail and if they'll be able to get the abortion they need in their own community.
WHITFIELD: Mm. Can you share with us any, you know, specific journey that someone, you know, that you've had interaction with is having without revealing their identity just to give people a more clear idea of what these women are going through?
MILLER: Sure. You know, I think you have to remember that abortion and access to safe abortion benefits everybody, not just women. There's men, there's families and communities that rely on this mainstream health care in order to plan their families and live their lives ... (audio gap)
WHITFIELD: And I am so sorry. Our signal is --
MILLER: The ripple effect is great, and it's for the preg--
WHITFIELD: And, Amy, I mean, you're terrific, and I know you have a wealth of knowledge and information. And we want to try and do this again because the signal right now is so terrible that your message is just not being adequately conveyed. So we'll try it again another time. Amy Hagstrom Miller, thank you so much.
(...)
September 4, 2021
12:17 p.m.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: All right, turning now to the battle over abortion rights in Texas. A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the state's largest anti-abortion group. The order blocks Texas Right to Life from suing Planned Parenthood under the state's strict new abortion law.
The law allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who assists a pregnant woman -- person seeking an abortion in violation of the law. It also bans abortions after as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and that's before many women even know that they are pregnant. President Biden is denouncing the new law, calling it "almost un-American," saying it creates a sort of vigilante system.
Joining us right now, Amy Hagstrom Miller. She is the CEO and founder of Whole Woman's Health, an independent abortion provider with clinics in five states, including Texas. Amy, so good to see you. So what is your reaction to this Texas judge's temporary restraining order?
AMY HAGSTROM MILLER, WHOLE WOMAN'S HEALTH: You know, I think it's a step in the right direction. It's not nearly enough protection for all of us at risk in the state of Texas from these vigilantes. I think Planned Parenthood took a smart step. It blocks one organization from suing. Unfortunately, there are many organizations and many folks hostile to those of us who are providing abortion care and those of us who are helping people access abortion care throughout the state.
So, like you said, we really need the administration to step in. And our legal options are far from over. We will be taking many more actions in the days and weeks to come in order to secure not only people's rights to safe abortion care but our ability to provide safe abortion care in our communities with the compassion and dignity that people deserve all throughout Texas.
WHITFIELD: What are women saying to you, particularly those patients who perhaps had upcoming appointments or have been seeking advice you have counseled? I mean, what do they say within the last 48 hours?
MILLER: So this has been a remarkably difficult week for our staff who are essential workers who have kept our clinics open all throughout this pandemic. This week, they have to, you know, sit with patients and look them in the eyes and deny them the very abortion care that they need, that they have decided is the best option for them and their families. And with all of the situations I think all of us are dealing with during this pandemic, many of us have had to make difficult decisions and important decisions about our families and about our education and our work. This is the context in which people face unplanned pregnancy.
And for many people, the decision to have an abortion is a very important decision that they need to have access to. And it needs to be done compassionately and promptly. And so these laws that are already on the books in Texas make it difficult even before SB8 for so many people in Texas to access care. There's barriers -- there's delays -- and now we add this on top of it. And the vast majority of people who are coming to our clinics are being denied the care that they need, being told basically they have to continue the pregnancy against their will.
WHITFIELD: Mm-hm. So you are describing in part some of the short-term anxieties, but now what about long-term anxieties that you're hearing expressed already from women, and even those who are working, you know, in your clinic? I mean, those who have been advocating and are very proud of the service that they have been able to deliver, but then what are you all thinking long-term now?
MILLER: So the folks that work in our four clinics in the state of Texas are the same people that come in for our abortion care services -- primarily women of color from the community -- people who are parenting already who are trying to, you know, build a life for their families just like our patients are. There's really no difference. Any of us, at some point in our lives, may need to face an unplanned pregnancy and needs to be able to consider the possibility of abortion. We all know people that love people who have needed an abortion in their lifetime, and I just ask: Is this the kind of environment we want people to encounter?
Think long-term, the damage and impact this is going to have for people who are forced to carry pregnancies against their will. There's maternal mortality health outcomes. There's, you know, damage in the way that we all are looking at access to abortion and safe abortion in this country in the long-run. I think they're playing some political football with people's lives. And I wish the politicians, if they weren't so cruel, I wish that they could hear the kinds of anguish and the kinds of stories that our patients are telling us about what they need in their lives in the situations that they're dealing with. And abortion is supposed to be available not just in these situations. It's supposed to be available to all of us when we feel that we can't continue a pregnancy.
WHITFIELD: The U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. What are your expectations about what this White House Department of Justice can do?
MILLER: So I am encouraged that the administration is finally paying attention. You know, Governor Abbott signed this bill into law months ago, and we have seen a trajectory of ramping up of the regulation of people's bodies and the surveillance and violence for the last decades and most especially for the last few years in this country. I think we have the FACE Act we can look at. We have HIPAA violations we can look at. We have federal marshal protection that we could look at. I think the Women's Health and Protection Act could be, you know, really sort of looked at much more deeply not just in the House but in the Senate. And we could really have some efforts from Washington that could really come in and protect those states where abortion rights are most at risk and where people really need leadership from this administration and from all of us.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Amy Hagstrom Miller, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate you joining us.
MILLER: Thank you so much for covering the story.
