US Court of Appeals has ruled that the US government cannot enforce federal guidance in Texas. Requiring that emergency room doctors perform abortions if necessary to stabilize patients during emergencies. The Biden administration had, back in July of 2022, [00:00:16] issued guidance stating that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, a federal law governing emergency rooms. Can require abortion when necessary to stabilizes a patient with a medical emergency, even if in that state, abortion is banned. Texas and associations immediately sued the administration, [00:00:33] saying the guidance interfered with the state's right to restrict abortion. So opponents of the guidance said this wasn't even necessary, you see, because Texas law already allows abortion to save the life of the mother. But that the federal guidance went too far, calling for [00:00:50] abortions when an emergency condition is not present and eliminating obligations to treat the unborn child. So, Francesca, I just think that the ruling is terrible. But coming not just a couple weeks after the Kate Cox situation, [00:01:05] how laughable is the argument from these anti-abortion forces? You don't need to do that. We're already being responsible. We already have a loophole to save the life of the mother. It in practice means absolutely nothing. It's dog crap. [00:01:21] But we have it. So the Biden administration doesn't need to get involved. And so this is effectively saying that Texas gets to choose. There will be no federal guidance to potentially save lives. And we will still have a situation where if you develop a medical emergency that [00:01:36] risks either your health, your life, your reproductive future. I hope that you have money or that the media decides to pay attention to your case so you can raise a little bit of money. To travel to an actual civilized land to get the abortion that's necessary to save your life. [00:01:51] So that's what we've got right now. What do you think? >> Speaker 2: It's evil and cruel and par for the course when it comes to Republicans and Republican appointed justices, as in the Fifth Circuit, [00:02:08] I guess, presiding judge was a W Bush appointee. It is going to cost more women their lives. People will die because of this. And that's stuff we've all gone over. It will also, I think, cost Republicans the state of Texas. [00:02:25] I think that women in the state of Texas are already fired up. They're angry and they're gonna be voting. And I would watch my back if I were Ted Cruz, if I were Greg Abbot, if I were Dan Patrick. [00:02:43] These fools know exactly, they're reaping what they sow, and it's gonna come for them real hard. Trust me, it will. People will die. There will be a lot of sad and upsetting stories. And we need to focus and donate and support and [00:02:59] help women flee if they need to flee, we need to fight. But it will come back to bite Republicans in the butt electorally. And I cannot wait for Texas to actually go blue. [00:03:14] >> Speaker 1: So I love the case that you're making, and I think that there is good evidence that this is electorally motivating. We've seen even in red states, their attempts to ban abortion have not gone their way when they've actually left it to the people. [00:03:30] >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: That said, we have been waiting for Texas for years and years at this point, and still. >> Speaker 1: [CROSSTALK] >> Self promoters like Ted Cruz managed to get re-elected. That's really the one where theoretically, I think you're. [00:03:46] Are you saying that you think Texas could potentially flip blue in the presidential election or are you saying that Ted Cruz might? >> Speaker 2: I don't know about the presidential election, but I think more on local level stuff, yeah. In terms of Cruz and Abbott. >> I hope so. >> Speaker 2: Texas is already purple we know that. [00:04:02] It's really interesting to see also all the counties that voted for Beto in the last election against Ted Cruz. They're all border counties, all of them. It is really important also to remember that the other thing that Texas has is, right, the so called border crisis, [00:04:19] which people on the border do not think is a crisis. They understand that militarizing the border is not good. It's stealing their land. They don't need it. They need like, come on, watch. Cuz, yes, it's been a long time, but it's slowly turned purple. [00:04:36] And I think that purple will get deeper and deeper. >> Speaker 1: Look, I certainly hope so. You've got the massive issues power grid that they're just deciding for the purposes of profit of the energy companies they're not gonna fix. That said, they've also remember they passed their bill to suppress the vote even more a couple years ago. [00:04:53] So they're hoping that how unpopular they are gets swamped by how hard it is to vote in Texas. >> Speaker 2: That's right. >> Speaker 1: See, we'll definitely be looking. [MUSIC]