CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Lois Frankel

Interview

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CABRERA: So far this year, at least seven states have voted to restrict their existing abortion laws, and at least seven more have considered restrictions. Count Florida congresswoman Lois Frankel among the outrage. She calls it the all-out war on women's bodies and declares we will fight back.

And Congresswoman Frankel is joining us now. You are a law student at Georgetown in 1973 when Roe versus Wade was decided at the Supreme Court. What is it like to see such sustained effort right now to not only chip away at abortion rights, but to completely overturn Roe?

REP. LOIS FRANKEL (D), FLORIDA: Well, good afternoon. It's great to be with you, Ana. And thank you for having me on your show today. We are in a war, I call a message in this war against women, and we are not going to take it because millions of women are going to fight back because we are not going to go back.

Now I will tell you a story because I lived in the days before Roe v. Wade. And I remember as a teenager actually finding a friend. She was in bed with -- there was blood all over the bed sheets. She was in excruciating pain. We rushed her to the hospital and I later learned that she had a back alley abortion. And those were the days when girls or women could not get legal abortions. They were forced to drink poison or have a coat hanger used to abort their baby. So we're not going to go back to those days.

But I want to add something. You know, this fight is more than just about the morbidity and more death that will be caused by making abortion illegal. It's more than say, isn't it horrific that a 12- year-old who is raped is forced to have a baby and that is horrific. We are talking about a movement across this entire country, mostly by Republican men, to keep -- to take control away from women. To take our health care away, to have important decisions about when to have a child or where to have a child, to have those decisions made by politicians.

CABRERA: Now the fact that the Alabama law, there is no consideration for rape or incest, that has angered more than a new conservatives. And Alabama is not alone in that. Missouri is another one this week, but the political calculation is clear here. Anti-abortion activists won a case that goes to the Supreme Court, so that Roe v. Wade can be reconsidered. How likely do you think that really is in the next few years?

FRANKEL: Well, what I think is important for everyone to realize is that probably in the last ten years or so, there have been over 400 bills and state legislatures all over this country putting obstacles and roadblocks in front of women getting legal abortions. So these few that have just come to light, Alabama and Georgia and so forth which were much more extreme, this is nothing new. And this is really -- it's a plan to somehow get more and more of these cases to the Supreme Court not necessarily to completely overturn Roe V. Wade, but to put more and more obstacles in front of women, especially poor and working women who can't afford to fly or go to another state to have a legal abortion.

CABRERA: But do you believe that now with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, with you know, Gorsuch both on the bench, how the Supreme Court has been sort of remade since this President took office? Do you believe a conservative majority will overturn roe?

[16:20:04] FRANKEL: I certainly think it's possible. The President of the United States, that was one of his campaign promises, and I think that's the only reason he probably got into office, was because conservatives saw what he would do to the courts. That's why if you look at the United States Senate, the only movement they have on legislature to anything is to put more conservatives on the court. So do I think they are going to overturn -- completely overturn Roe v. Wade? I hope not, but this is -- I tell you we are in a war. It's a call to arms. Women better fight back. They better get to the polls. They better vote. They better support these organizations that are going to the courts whether it's ACLU or Planned Parenthood. We cannot depend on hope that maybe justice Roberts will see his way not to overturn Roe v. Wade. This is a call to arms.

CABRERA: What is your thought about Democratic governor of Louisiana Bel Edwards saying today that he supports the restrictive abortion bill that's up in his state?

FRANKEL: Let's say I don't agree with it. But I don't think it doesn't really matters whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. I mean, it is mostly Republican lawmakers across the country that are passing these restrictions.

But listen. I will call him out too. Women, if we are going to have productive lives, if we are going to be able to take care of our families. If we are going to be able to take care of selves, if we want to have more economically successful communities, then women have to be in charge of our own bodies. And so what I would say to him is change your mind. Veto any bill that comes your way that restricts any woman's right to choose.

CABRERA: Real quick, I want to ask you about an issue that affects your state, Florida, specifically, an area you represent, Palm Beach County. Immigration officials have talked about transporting up to a thousand migrants a month to South Florida. About 500 they say will go to Palm Beach County where they will be processed and then released.

You have said the Trump administration is using human beings as political pawns here. Tell me more about this plan and your reaction to it.

FRANKEL: Well, first, let me say when the President or the administration first announced it, and I think it caused so much commotion here. There was a lot of pushback from folks on both sides of the aisle. I think they have back off for now. But you know, with that said, you know, this whole thing about building a wall -- everybody, let's remember. That's a campaign slogan, and now using human beings as political pawns trying -- saying we are going to ship these refugees to the areas of the country that seem to be more sympathetic to them, that's just wrong. And sort of two things I think have to happen immediately aside from the long-term, having immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform.

But two things have to happen right away. Number one, the Trump administration has to start putting back resources and aid to the Central American countries that they cut off because that's where the problems are. There is a lot of violence. There is tremendous poverty and we need to be using resources to change the conditions in those countries that are causing so many people to flee.

Number two, there needs to be immediately humanitarian crisis package that comes out of the Congress. I'm talking about billions of dollars that will go to deal with the thousands and thousands of people who are on the border, whether it's health care, shelter --

CABRERA: Right.

FRANKEL: Judicial processing. All that needs to happen now.

CABRERA: OK, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, we will have you back as soon that bill gets moving. We appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

FRANKEL: Thank you.

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