Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) – Press Availability – Reproductive Rights Town Hall – St. Louis – August 18, 2019

“…I’ll keep lifting up the voices of women who are being dismissed, devalued, and attacked by this president, President Trump…”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) brought her 2020 presidential campaign to St. Louis Sunday afternoon for a town hall on reproductive rights. Around 330 individuals (that number comes from the campaign) attended the event. Afterwards, she took questions from the media.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

The press availability:

Question: Senator, talk about why you came to Missouri today, especially when its not considered much of a battleground state anymore.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D): I wanted to come to the front lines of attacks on women’s reproductive freedom. This is a national issue. But women in Missouri deserve a voice, someone to lift up their voice, their struggles their challenges. And to make sure we have a Democratic nominee who value them and cares about what they’re going through. So I not only came to the front lines here in Missouri, but I went to the front lines in Georgia, and I’ll keep lifting up the voices of women who are being dismissed, devalued, and attacked by this president, President Trump.

Question: It’s a crowded race, how do you stand out in this race?

Senator Gillibrand: As, as you’ve seen I’m leading the national debate on major issues like women’s reproductive freedom, like getting money out of politics, like a family bill of rights. These are the kinds of things that I’ve really lead on this whole national campaign on, uh, inspiring other candidates to not only follow my lead, but also to debate these really important issues.

Question: Well Senator, there’s, uh, Illinois has gone the opposite direction of Missouri. Uh, how, in some cases it’s a haven for, for people looking for abortion rights. How dangerous is that for the country?

Senator Gillibrand: So, it’s very dangerous that you have a governor here in Missouri who doesn’t value women, who doesn’t believe we should have the rights to make the most intimate important decisions of our lives, um, doesn’t trust women to make those decisions, who’s actually criminalizing women and their caregivers. So we need to make sure we elect him out, and elect out Trump, because the truth is, neither Trump nor your governor cares about women. And women in America deserve a champion in the White House.

Voice: You have time for two more.

Question: You said you would pass Medicare for all. Where do you stand on filibuster reform to get that and other progressive policies through?

Senator Gillibrand: Something I will definitely look at as president. Uh, as well as other reforms to make sure that our democracy work again. Unfortunately, uh, money in politics is all too prevalent and so I will actually pass a publicly funded election bill to restore our democracy back to the hands of the people, away from the moneyed special interests that control everything in Washington.

Voice: Last question.

Question: …[crosstalk] qualifying for the debate you still haven’t qualified in three more polls, when you’ve reached the [inaudible]. How confident are you that you will be on that stage?

Senator Gillibrand: I am very confidant that I will reach the debate stage. [….] And for the people that have turned out for this town hall we need a voice on the Democratic debate stage who puts women’s rights at the fore, who actually talks about why access to abortion is such a basic civil human right. Uh, you need a campion and I am that champion. [….]

Question: How far away are you from reaching [crosstalk][inaudible]?

Senator Gillibrand: Very close. I just need everyone here in Missouri to help.

Voice: All right, thanks guys.

Question: Do you think they’ll be actually asking those questions on the next debate stage?

Senator Gillibrand: If I’m there they will be.

[….]