In response to the GOP’s plan to defund Planned Parenthood, Senator Cory Booker (Dem-NJ) knocked it out of the park this week during a press conference. Here is transcript followed by the short and stunning YouTube video of Booker demonstrating and explaining how a real #Resistance can, does, and will work. As Senator Patty Murray (Dem-WA) wraps up the conference, Booker, a long time Planned Parenthood activist, asks to make a statement. Here is the transcript:
“So, I don't have a message for fellow Republican elected, because they're not depending on Planned Parenthood in their neighborhoods. They're well paid comfortable people. I have a message for every American, Democrat, and Republican who rely on these services or know people that do, or have the kind of heart to care enough to stand up for the women that receive these services.
I saw what happened when Chris Christie in my state cut the funding to Planned Parenthood. I saw in poor neighborhoods doors being shut, hours being constricted.
This is a moment in America.
Republicans now think they're elected with a mandate to do these kind of things. I saw just this week the craven overreach of the Republican Party when they tried the Republican GOP to gut Independent Ethics Oversight. And what we saw there was the American people standing up and saying “We will not tolerate this!” and so this is another point.
We see that they will listen if enough people stand up and fight!
And so this is the first shot in what is going to be a battle leading into real reconciliation. And if enough Americans stand up and say we're not going to tolerate this. We didn't elect anybody to rip out the key preventive services to make it harder to be someone struggling in this country to get basic healthcare services, that I believe in women, that I believe fundamentally in this country and that institutions like this make a stronger, better, more intelligent, more compassionate, more loving.
And so frankly, what I'm going to be doing — every single day now leading the group reconciliations — is trying to wake up the conscience of other folks, trying to call to people to protest, to fight, to stand up. Because this cannot be allowed to happen. Too many people will suffer. The consequences will be felt by all.”
Below is the video: “Cory Booker on GOP Plan to Defund Planned Parenthood: ‘we must stand up and fight.’”
This is what we need — Democratic leaders standing up, speaking out, and calling “bullshit” and “foul” every time the misogynist group of greedy, fat-cat, ego-driven Republican extremists make a move against the best interests of the people. More importantly, we need our left wing (and right wing leaders who care) to urge all Americans, regardless of party, to fight for what’s right and fight for it now. Take to the streets and make noise without violence, but with a firm voice of strength and power that will stun this new government into not only believing what Cory Booker is saying, but also know the American people WILL NOT tolerate the injustice/reckless laws Republicans intend to spew and pass.
Thank you, Cory Booker. More, please. A lot more.
You can follow Booker on Twitter, on his Facebook page, or visit his official U.S. Senate website here. In addition, below is another short video by Senator Booker published on December 28. He discusses the fights we’ll be up against after the (corrupt) election of the divisive and the deplorable Donald Trump, his entourage, and the Republican-led Congress.
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