The Woman Project was proud to see Senator Gayle Goldin live tweeting from the Kavanaugh hearings. As the lead Senator sponsor of the Reproductive Health Care Act in the Senate, she is one of our state’s biggest protectors of Roe. Follow her on twitter and check out her updates yesterday from D.C. @gaylegoldin. After her time in the fateful hearing room, we wanted to ask her what it was like.
How did it feel to be in the hearing room?
It was inspiring and infuriating all at the same time. I watched as protesters risked arrest to make sure people are paying attention. I listened to our Democratic Senators press Kavanaugh on Supreme Court cases that have addressed some of our most fundamental rights: the right to vote, the right to love, the right to health care, the right to control our own bodies. They pressed him for his opinions, they pushed him on his loyalty to the president. The Republican Senator from Louisiana, on the other hand, asked him if he’d describe himself as like Ferris Bueller in high school.
You are right that is a stark contrast, so where do we go from here, how can we really make a difference?
First you should share your concerns with Senator Whitehouse and Senator Reed. I know as an elected official I appreciate hearing from my constituents, and it is an important process. Also, as you see people running for any level of public office you should be asking them how they feel about our constitutional rights, like the right to an abortion, because we should expect our elected officials to protect rights, not work to take them away. Who gets elected this year right here in Rhode Island has serious consequences for our state and our future. Vote for candidates that are committed to passage of the Reproductive Health Care Act. The more people who are involved and engaged in primary election on September 12th, the better our state will be. Make a plan to vote, then make a plan to volunteer.
