Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy Now 20151001

Russias decision to target rebel forces fighting syrian d as well as isil. Professor Rashid Khalidi will join us to talk about syria as well as palestines historic day at the United Nations. Than republicans fell to shut down the government over planned parenthood. As planned parenthood president Cecile Richards testifies before congress. Whats it is a shame to think there are people in this country who are so committed to ending womens access to both the control and safe and legal abortions that they will resort to any means to try to entrap people, twist the truth in order to reach their end. But again, we believe and why i am here voluntarily today is that the facts are on our side. Amy we will speak with michigan commerce woman Brenda Lawrence. Then to oklahoma. Through several phone calls and conversations with the Attorney Generals Office and the governors office, we have asked for the governor to grant a stay of execution for Richard Eugene glossip until next month. Amy death row prisoner Richard Glossip is given 37 more days to live. We will speak with leading antideath penalty activist sister prejean on her fight to save his life. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Russia has become the latest Foreign Government to launch air strikes into syria after carrying out a series of strikes wednesday. The move sparked concern from us officials, who say the russian attacks did not hit isil, but instead hit the rebel groups fighting against syrian president Bashar Alassad, including at least one Group Trained by the cia. The u. S. And russia have long disagreed about the strategy in syria, with the u. S. Calling for assads departure, and russia backing the syrian president. Russia became at least the 10th Foreign Government to launch air strikes in syria this year. Other countries include the u. S. Britain, canada, france, australia, turkey, israel, the United Arab Emirates and jordan. We will have more on syria with Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi after headlines. In afghanistan, fierce fighting between the taliban and Afghan Government forces is currently underway in the Northern City of kunduz. Taliban seized kunduz monday, marking the first time the taliban has taken over a major afghan city since 2001. Afghan forces backed by u. S. Airstrikes launched a counteroffensive tuesday to retake the city. The u. S. Also dispatched American Special Operation Forces to kunduz wednesday. This comes more than 10 months after president obama declared an official end to the u. S. Combat operation in afghanistan. In oklahoma, governor mary fallin has issued a stay of execution for deathrow prisoner Richard Glossip just moments he after they mixed up the drugs. He was scheduled to be executed at 3 00 p. M. But it was called off because instead of having the chemical potassium chloride, which stops the heart, the prison had potassium acetate. Stayn issued a 37 day while the state ensures it is complying fully with the protocols approved by federal court. The case dates back to 1997 when glossip was working as a manager at the best budget inn in upon the city when his boss was murdered. A maintenance worker, justin sneed, admitted he beat the man to death. But claimed that glossip offered him money for the killing. The case rested solely on justin sneeds claims. No physical evidence ever tied glossip to the crime. As sneed himself was spared the death penalty. We will have more on the case sister Helen Prejean. Meanwhile, a u. S. District court in virginia will hold a lastminute hearing this afternoon to decide whether to temporarily halt the execution of Alfredo Prieto over concerns about the drug virginia plans to use to execute him. The hearing is a response to an emergency motion filed by his lawyers after they learned virginia obtained the drug pentobarbital for the execution not from a pharmacy but from the texas prison system. Prieto, a salvadoran national, has been convicted of multiple counts of murder. He is scheduled to be executed tonight. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced wednesday that the Palestinian Authority was no longer bound by peace agreements with israel that were continually violated. This came the same day the palestinian flag was raised in front of the United Nations for the first time. Abbas make the speech to the u. N. General assembly. Here we declare that as long as israel refuses to commit to the agreement and sign with us, which renders us an Authority Without real powers, and as long as israel refuses to cease settlement activities and to release the fourth group of palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements, israel leaves us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements while israel continuously violates them. Amy meanwhile, a new report has documented hundreds of cases of palestinian rights activists in the United States being harassed, disciplined, fired, sued, censored or threatened for their advocacy around palestine. 85 of these cases targeted students or scholars. The report was issued by the Nonprofit Group palestine legal. Nashiha alam of the students for justice in palestine chapter at Loyola Universitychicago spoke about facing harassment. Administration at loyola often suggested members of syrian palestine to fb out fbistyle interrogations. Amy the United Nations Human Rights Council has abandoned a plan to launch an investigation into Human Rights Violations and possible war crimes in the ongoing conflict in yemen following aggressive lobbying from saudi diplomats. A u. N. Human Rights Commission report has blamed the u. S. Backed saudiled airstrikes for most of the civilian casualties. This comes only days after u. S. Backed saudiled airstrikes killed at least 130 civilians after mistakenly bombing a Wedding Party monday. In oklahoma, tulsa county Sheriff Stanley Glanz has been indicted following the Fatal Shooting in april of unarmed African American eric harris by a volunteer deputy. Sheriff glanz was close personal friend of Deputy Robert bates, who says he fatally shot harris after he mistook his gun for a taser. Bates is a wealthy insurance executive who donated heavily to the Police Department. Reports later showed supervisors at the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office were ordered to falsify bates Training Records before the shooting. On wednesday, a grand jury indicted sheriff glanz on misdemeanor charges related to glanzs withholding of documents during the departments internal investigation. His attorney said he would resign before the november hearing. Meanwhile, new York City Police Department Commissioner bill bratton is unveiling new rules today that will require the nations largest Police Department to document virtually every instance of force by police officers. The rules will go into effect next year. In west virginia, former coal company ceo Don Blankenship is on trial over a 2010 explosion at the Massey Energy coal mine that killed 29 workers. The explosion was the worst coal disaster in the United States in 40 years. Blankenship faces 31 years in prison on charges of tipping off managers ahead of federal safety inspections and trying to cover up the companys lax safety regulations. Three more women have come forward with accusations against bill cosby. More than 50 women have accused cosby of drugging and raping them in cases that go back decades. Brown university, Marquette University and fordham , university have all rescinded honorary degrees from cosby over the allegations. In atlanta, cancer patient Zahara Heckscher disrupted negotiations for the Transpacific Partnership at the westin hotel wednesday. The trade pact, which is being negotiated in secret, involves 12 pacific rim nations and about 40 of the global economy. Zahara heckscher was arrested as she demanded access to the secret to see whether it includes a death sentence clause a u. S. Proposal to extend de facto monopolies on medicines by up to eight years, which make the drugs she says, unaffordable. Until [inaudible] so i can verify that it will not prevent women like me with cancer from accessing medicines we need to stay strong and stay alive. Amy the vatican has confirmed that pope francis held a private meeting with Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis during the popes historic sixday visit to the United States. Kim davis was briefly jailed in september for refusing to issue marriage licenses to samesex couples after the Supreme Courts decision to legalize Marriage Equality nationwide. In response to the news marianne , duddyburke of lgbt Catholic Group dignityusa told the Huffington Post i fear that this meeting and claims that the pope told ms. Davis to stand strong will embolden the many u. S. Bishops and others who continue to try to turn back support for lgbt people. And in stockholm, sweden, the right livelihood award, known as the alternative nobel prize, has been announced for four people. Ugandan lgbt rights activist Kasha Jacqueline nabagesera. Canadian inuit activist sheila wattcloutier, italian surgeon gino strada, and Marshall Islands foreign minister tony de brum. At the pride parade in new york city this year, nabagesera spoke about the repression the Lgbt Community faces in uganda, as well as the role u. S. Missionaries have played in sowing violence against gay, lesbian and transgender people , in her country. The crowd would have been broken down in police, broken down by the government. We are also suffering because of the american evangelicals that are planted in our society. [indiscernible] we must not go around the world spreading hate. Amy that was one of this years winners of the right livelihood award. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. Nermeen welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. Russia has launched airstrikes in syria for a second day , becoming the latest Foreign Government to intervene in a war that has already killed over 240,000 people. Millions have been displaced. The move sparked concern from u. S. Officials who say the russian attacks did not hit isil targets but instead hit rebel , groups fighting against syrian president Bashar Alassad, including at least one Group Trained by the cia. The u. S. And russia have long disagreed about the strategy in syria, with washington calling for assads departure, and moscow backing the syrian president. Earlier today, the kremlin said russia is coordinating with the Syrian Military to hit isil targets as well as other militant organizations. Russia is at least the 10th Foreign Government to launch air strikes in syria this year. Other countries include the United States, britain, canada, france, australia, turkey, israel, the United Arab Emirates, and jordan. The u. S. And Russian Military plan to hold talks as soon as today to avoid clashing in syria. Secretary of state john kerry met his russian counterpart wednesday to discuss military coordination between the two countries. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke after their meeting. Of what our president s agreed when they met here on the 28th of september. The first instruction to us was to make sure that the military of the United States, the Coalition Led to the United States on the one hand and the military of the russian configuration now engaged at the request of the Syrian Government , get in touch and establish channels of communications to avoid any unintended incidents. And we agreed the military should get into contact with each other very soon. Number two, we also discussed what the president s told us about the promoting political process. We all want syria democratic, alled, secular, a home for ethnic groups whose rights are guaranteed, but we have some differences as for the details on how to get there. Amy that was Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Secretary of state john kerry said the United States would welcome any genuine effort by moscow to target the Islamic State and the nusra front, but he criticized wednesdays air strikes on other rebel groups fighting president assad. I relayed and reiterated the concerns i expressed in the course of the Un Security Council meeting which was led by russia today. Concerns we have, obviously, about the nature of the targets, the type of targets, in the need for clarity with respect to them. And it is one thing, obviously, to be targeting isil, concerned, obviously, that is not what is happening. Amy to talk more about syria and palestine, were joined by Rashid Khalidi, edward said professor of arab studies at Columbia University. Hes the author of several books, including his latest, brokers of deceit how the u. S. Has undermined peace in the middle east. Professor, welcome back to democracy now talk about what is happening right now in syria, what russia is doing, with United States is doing. Talks what we have now is a civil war that is developed into a quite massive proxy war. 10 countries have launched airstrikes, others are engaged in backing different factions and the syrian civil war. It has become a much more complex conflict as result of this external intervention. To some extent, it has become more of a proxy war than a civil war. I think we have all kinds of dangers as a result of this, not just of this latest russian escalation, but of the fact parties on the other side saudi arabia, turkey, so forth are likely to up their backing for their favorite factions. I think were going to see an increasingly grim face of the war instead of a move toward something a political solution, which is the only way to end this. Theres still military solution to this, in the short run, anyway. Nermeen Rashid Khalidi, saudi arabia, you mentioned, is one of the countries fighting this proxy war in syria, and they have come out very strongly condemning russian attacks. Could you talk about was saudi arabias interests are in syria and who they have been backing . Well, saudi arabia and the countries of the gulf have been involved for very long time in what i would call a Regional Cold war with iran. It has a great power aspect and securing aspect. They have been backing sunni groups in iraq and backing the sunni opposition in syria. They have also been backing these people in these countries countries like kuwait, saudi arabia, qatar, individuals, wealthy individuals in these countries have also been backing some of the most extreme groups in the region al qaeda itself, the Islamic State a,l another Al Qaeda Affiliated groups. These groups have their own sources of funding within these countries, especially the Islamic State in iraq. They control resources. But they get hundreds of millions of dollars from donors in the gulf countries. And this money is largely unimpeded. Saudi arabia, its nationals, the nationals of other gulf countries are actually supporting some of the most extreme groups around. Partly as a means of supporting sunnis s againsthia, and probably of the way of opposing the Syrian Regime and the iraqi government, both of which they see is aligned with iran. Amy i want to turn to Russian Vladimir Putin who appeared on 60 minutes and talked about his policy in syria. We support the legitimate government of syria and it is my deep believe that any actions to the contrary in order to destroy the legitimate government will create a situation which you can witness now and the other countries of the region or in other regions for instance, in libya. All the state institutions are disintegrated. We see a similar situation in iraq. And there is no other solution to the Syrian Crisis and strengthening effective government structures and rendering them help in fighting terrorism. But at the same time, urging them to engage in positive dialogue with a rational opposition in conduct with form. Amy in this extended interview, Vladimir Putin said, yes, he supports assad in syria, that he believes, though, that he has the same goal not to have an al qaeda or isis takeover of syria, and feels that keeping alassad in will do that and used example of Saddam Hussein and iraq, that he was taken out and then look what happened come also talked about libya. Can you talk about these examples . Well, i mean, the overthrow of those two dictators in libya and in iraq, which in both cases was done in a completely heedless manner as to what would follow, certainly, has created two of the worst situations of modern middle eastern history. There is no question of that. Just to speak with a russian president said, the part of the problem he is not talking about is the sectarian part, the fact the Syrian Regime has disadvantaged sunnis, the fact that sooner seems dictatorship, retell the is so poor, is what provoked the uprising in the first place. He throws in his interview a word about reforms. The problem is a political problem, not a military problem and a core part of the problem is the nature of that dictatorship. What one has to do to resolve this is to square that circle, whereby you formula will not have a sectariandominated government in damascus. And at the same time, to prevent to fill this vacuum with a government that has some kind of support, so as to prevent groups like the Islamic State and the nusra front from taking over, which is the way things are going. The u. S. And others talk about a moderate opposition. Overwhelmingly dominant forces in syria in the opposition are hardline radical islamist groups, whether they are the Islamic State or nusra or others. That is the trend. Things are going much more that direction. Nermeen Rashid Khalidi, could you give us some sense of what accounts for the increased sectarianism that you pointed to in syria as well as in iraq . Well, in a certain sense, both of these regimes, that of Saddam Hussein and Bashar Alassad, had a sectarian core to them, although, they were nominally secular regimes. I think the beginning of the story has to be the destruction of the government in iraq and its replacement by the United States occupation. Not just taking the top of the pyramid off, but completely removing everybody who had any knowledge of how to govern in iraq, anyone whos connected to the baath party was removed. In doing that, the state that up and build up over more than a century was basically removed. And the people who came in were almost entirely sectarian themselves, the people who came in with the occupation forces. So a shia dominated government which basically did not know how to run the country and has proven to be endlessly corrupt, was put in place, and that triggered a sectarian reaction among the sunnis of iraq. And that is where the Islamic State started. That then spread to syria, where a similar analogous securing process has developed against the regime of besar Bashar Alassad. Part of this is the rebels of the iraq iraqi invasion. The beginning of the mass was 12 years ago. Amy defense secretary Ashton Carter warned it was doomed to fail, speaking this is part of wednesday, what he said. Theres a logical contradiction in the russian position and now his actions in syria. Intense toes and fight isil on one hand, and the support Bashar Alassad in his regime on the other. Fighting isil without pursuing a parallel political transition only risks escalating the civil war in syria. And with it, the very extremism and instability that moscow claims to be concerned about and aspire to fighting. So this approach that approach is tantamount, as i said then, to pouring gasoline on the fire. Position isast, our clear that a lasting defeat of syria canxtremism in only be achieved in parallel with a political transition in syria. And we will continue to insist on the importance of simultaneously pursuing these two objectives. Now, i would hope russia would join us in pursuing these object ofs objectives, which they claim to share, in parallel, rather than in the sequence that cannot succeed. Amy that is Ashton Carter, the defense secretary speaking wednesday. John mccain blasted obamas syria policy. Russias intervention in syria will prolong and complicate this horrific war and the main beneficiary will be isil, which has set off the ethnic and sectarian divisions fostered by the alassad regime. Myis tragic, it is tragic, fellow americans, that we have reached this point. The syrian conflict that is killed more than 200,000 people, created the worst refugee crisis in europe since world war ii, spawned a terrorist army of tens of thousands and now created a platform for a russian autocrat to join with iranian theocrat to prop up a syrian dictator. It did not have to be this way. But this is the inevitable consequence of hollow words, red lines crossed, tarnished moral influence, leading from behind, and a total lack of american leadership. ,my professor Rashid Khalidi respond to senator mccain and the defense secretary Ashton Carter. There is so much to say. I think american policy in syria has been an absolute mess, but i think the thing the u. S. Had to do at the same time is issued have been trying to deal directly with both the iranians and the russians over syria, would be to rein in its own allies. A large part of the problem has been turkey, saudi arabia, and other gulf countries pouring support into the most extreme forces in syria. I would also say it response to what the secretary of defense carter said, that it is in fact true what the russians are doing is not directed at the Islamic State. The Islamic State fighting as far to the east of where russia has been launching strikes. They are backing, shoring up the Syrian Regime and the backbone area of central syria, between damascus, homs, and the coast. Which is an area which isil is not very near. It is a mess. I think american policy has been appallingly confused. I think it has been confused in Different Directions than senator mccain seems to be sent justin suggesting. You need to cut a deal. Knock theeeds to ik heads of its own allies together. Acting in a very unrestrained manner in syria, as are a number of american allies. Irand the soviet and russia, both of which are just backing the assad regime to the hill. I agree with secretary carter, are helping to increase sectarian tensions. Every external party is responsible in some measure for this incredible mess. The 10 countries bombing syria or have been bombing syria in the countries that have been pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into some of the most extreme groups on earth in the syrian opposition. Amy what is the single most important thing you think the u. S. Should be doing right now in regards to syria . A deal has to be cut. Some means of ending this war as quickly as possible has to be found. This involves bringing all of the external parties to a certain kind of understanding, which will not be easy. It may take a very, very long time. It will be very, very hard. I think finding the way to do that will be harder than finding a formula for syria itself. In other words, reconciling the completely contradictory objectives and aims of these eight or 10 countries that are engaged in a proxy war in syria will be the hardest thing to do. Marked wednesday historic day for palestine at the United Nations in new york or the palestinian flag was raised for the first time. Earlier this month, the yuan general sibley passed a motion to raise the palestinian flag. The United States and israel voted against the motion, along with six other countries. Fortyfive countries abstained. Earlier on wednesday, palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced in his address to the u. N. General assembly that the Palestinian Authority was no longer bound by peace agreements known as the oslo accords with israel. Here we declare that as long as israel refuses to commit to the agreement signed with us at which renders as an Authority Without real powers, and as long as israel refuses to cease settlement activities and are released before the group of palestinian prisoners in accordance with our agreements, israel leaves us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while israel continuously violates them. We therefore declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements. Israel must assume that fully all of its responsibilities as an occupying power, because the status quo cannot continue and the decisions of the Palestinian Central Council last march are specific and binding. As long as israel is not committed to the signed agreements and undermine all agreements, we, for our part, are not committed to those agreements and israel must therefore responsibility for this situation. Amy israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said abbass speech was deceitful and encourages incitement and lawlessness in the middle east. Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly later today. Still with us is Rashid Khalidi, edward said professor of arab studies at Columbia University. Talk about what took place yesterday and what it means what abbas said about oslo. Both of the things that happened at the u. N. Yesterday are purely symbolic. Symbols sometimes have meaning. That speech will only have meaning if it is translated into concrete action by the Palestinian Authority in halting Security Cooperation with israel. The only part of the oslo accords that was really faithfully implemented was the protection the Palestinian Authority has provided to israels occupation and settlement enterprise. That is the core of the also accords. They did not were not meant to lead to selfdetermination or independents or statehood. They were not meant to really be what the palestinians thought what palestinians thought it would be. They were meant to provide traction for israels continued occupation and settlement regime. Unless the authorities cease to do that, they are still implementing their size of the oslo accords, which israel from the beginning has never implemented what on the eco economic level, conditions in jerusalem are concerned, whether a myriad of other spheres. Israel has suddenly and brutally in some cases pulled back from what was originally committed to do. The only party really opening anything important stars the also accords are concerned, is the Palestinian Authority. Unless and until they cease to do those things, this will be a purely symbolic gesture. Damico josh earnest was asked wednesday about the speech. He reiterated the need for a two state solution. The u. S. Has long been and continues today to be committed to achieving peace that the palestinians and israelis deserve. We describe the resolution of this conflict as a two state solution that results in two states for two peoples with a sovereign, viable, independent palestinian state living sidebyside in peace and security with the jewish and democratic israel. That is been our position for why some time and the continues to be our position today. Nermeen Rashid Khalidi, what do you think needs to happen now . Well, meaningless american words need to be turned into action. The u. S. Pays for arms and diplomatically protects continued occupation. Those are meaningless words. The United States has done nothing to help establish a palestinian state and the occupation or stop the metastasizing settlement process that is taking over or has taken over more than half of the land of the west bank and jerusalem. What needs to be done is the external support without which this occupation and settlement regime could not continue has to be halted. Most of that support comes from the u. S. And europe. The americans and europeans, instead of continuing to mount highest platitudes about the support for peace and of houston in state, could stop supporting occupations and settlement, which is what prevents peace and and and though this occupation and settlement. Amy Rashid Khalidi, we know you have to head off to do your job, which is to teach your students. He speaking to us from Columbia University where i am late for class. Amy we will give you a late excuse. He is the edward said professor of arab studies at Columbia University. The author of several books, including his latest, brokers of deceit how the u. S. Has undermined peace in the middle east. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org the war and peace report. We will be back talking about planned parenthood and the to oklahoma with antideath penalty toivist sister Helen Prejean talk about the Richard Glossip case in a moment. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. With their meanu. N shaikh. In the house, large majority of republicans voted against a measure which did not meet conservatives demands to cut off money to planned parenthood. The move to cut off funding came after the airing of heavily edited videos released by an antichoice group which claimed to show planned parenthood employees discussing the sharing of fetal tissue with researchers. Wednesdays vote came one day after planned parenthood president Cecile Richards faced off with republican lawmakers before a house panel. She testified that planned parenthood does not sell fetal tissue to researchers, and that the videos republicans are using to make these claims are heavily edited and do not serve as evidence. Theres been a great deal of misinformation circulated about planned parenthood recently and i want to be absolutely clear at the outset, the federal funding that planned parenthood receives allows our doctors and clinicians an hour Health Centers to provide birth control, cancer screening, and testing and treatment for sexual transmitted diseases. The outrageous accusations leveled against planned parenthood based on heavily doctored videos are offensive and categorically untrue. I realize, though, the facts have never gotten in the way of using these campaigns to block women from health care they need and deserve. Amy the hearing was often contentious with republican lawmakers grilling richards on every thing from her salary to travel expenditures to fundraising activities. Chaffetzember jason often let the hostile questioning. He presented a slide he said was from planned parenthoods corporate report, from their data, showing an increase in abortions and a decrease in cancer screenings. There are one or two places that do it, but mammograms . If you would give me one moment to explain, planned parenthood is a Womens Health center just like where i go for my breast exams every year. If you need a mammogram, your referred to a Radiological Center and that is how women actually receive their care. We provide breast exams i can get you the numbers of how many hundreds of thousands of women receive breast exams a plan planned parenthood last year has nothing to do with again, you created the slide. Ive no idea what it is. It is the reduction over the course of years in pink. That is the reduction in breast exams and the red is the increase in the abortion. That is what is going on in your organization. This is a slide that has never been shown to me before. Im happy to look at it. It absolutely does not reflect what is happening at planned parenthood. You are going to deny im going to deny the slide your just show me that no one is ever provided me before. We of provided you the information of all of the services at planned parenthood provides will stop provides. I pull those numbers drug be out of your corporate report. My lawyers are informing me the source of this as americans united for life, which is an antiabortion group thomas so i would check your source. Then we will get to the bottom of the truth of that. The raincoat that was Jason Chaffetz of utah. At the bottom of the sliding question, confirming what Cecile Richards said, it clearly states source American United for life, nato planned parenthood organization. The planned parenthood hearings continued for five hours. At tuesdays hearing, democratic commerce woman representative Brenda Lawrence of michigan offer this impassioned response to the questioning of Cecile Richards, particularly regarding what she felt was misinformation is some of her colleagues. Richards,tion, ms. There seems to be this continuous thought that if planned parenthood went away that there would be these other Health Care Services for millions of women because you went away. There is a suggestion that all of these commodity Health Centers would just step in and fill up. Sara rosenbaum, professor of health and law and policy a George Washington has worked with the community Health Centers for years and i a claim that committed Health Centers rarely can absorb the loss of planned parenthood is a gross misrepresentation. I would ask you, miss richards, can, and your experience in health care, the perception that if you went away, it would be totally absorbed, can you please respond to that . I think this is a really important point and i know theres been a lot of discussion, for the record, we see 2. 7 million patients a year, of of them are at 158 poverty world below, so these are a group of women and men and young people are often uninsured lessertainly have fewer access to care. I know there have been a lot of reports that have come out since congress suggested eliminating access to planned parenthood for patients. Estimated cbos study 390,000 women would lose care next year if planned parenthood if women can no longer go to planned parenthood. I think some of the questions raised, it is really important for folks to understand, just as you talked about how women get breast exams and breast care in this country come a in some areas, we are the only safety net Family Planning provider. And that is the care for most women, in particularly, young women, the care they need his Family Planning, access to cancer screenings. In many areas, there are long waits. 60 of our clinics will see folks the same day. In some areas, they wont take any more medicaid patients and medicare and planned parenthoods billing entity. It is true the medicare and the targeted audience or group that used planned parenthood, are often those who are most at risk africanamerican minority women diet higher level than any other population when it comes to breast cancer, when it comes to actually dying from having pelvic or cervical cancer. So we are actually giving opportunities. Amy in this is michigan commerce woman Brenda Lawrence addressing the committee on its approach for dealing with the head of planned parenthood, Cecile Richards. Thank you. There are couple of things. It is very troubling to sit here as a woman and to hear some questions that, obviously, are insensitive. One, the continual question of, why dont you provide the xrays for a mammogram . Where every woman here knows you have a primary doctor and that doctor examines you and if there is a lump, you are referred to a specialist. So i wish those who would sit here to ask those questions would actually have the sensitivity to understand what a woman goes through with her health care. That would allow us to ask more pertinent question. Secondly, it is exhausting to keep hearing about federal dollars being spent on abortion when repeatedly, the facts state and it is not a controversy read the faqs, do your research before you ask these exhausting sometimes, i feel, insulting questions. We cannot use federal dollars for abortion. This is not a lump sum budget item that we give to planned parenthood. It is reimbursement. How many times does that have to be repeated for this to become in embraced fact . If there were no citizens of the United States going to planned parenthood to receive these medicalapproved services that we approve as a congress, there would be no reimbursement going to planned parenthood, they would not receive anything. For the life of me, sitting here today, i know my colleagues are more intelligent than this. And it is exhausting to hear just a philosophy of attack to just use information that is i keep incorrect as if saying it, some way it becomes factual. Amy that is Michigan Congress woman Brenda Lawrence extremely frustrated and angry at how the committee was dealing with planned parenthood. The House Committee on oversight and government reform i would she says. She joins us now in washington, d. C. , representing eastern detroit and beyond. Congressmember lawrence, welcome to democracy now the government was not shut down, but planned parenthood remains under attack. What is the reason republicans continually go after this organization, willing to take down the entire u. S. Government over it. There has been thank you so much for having me on this show. There has been repeatedly year after year attacks on planned parenthood. For some reason, it has become the face of this Overall Mission by the Republican Party to go wade that gives the legal right for women to have abortion in america. And they want to attack that. And they have singled out planned parenthood. It is so unfortunate because that is such a minute or small part of the services that planned parenthood gives. And if you look at the services that planned parenthood gives and all of the benefit to those who are most at risk and were talking about health care, talking about women getting Early Detection so they wont die from cancer. We are talking about young women who have the right to take contraceptives so they can plan their pregnancies, that they can have opportunity to have control of the reproduction, of their bodies, of children. We are talking about a service that is extremely critical. And women around us rolled know that. And that is why you see the polls. They are not being supported in this attack of one of the Major Industries that has stood throughout the year the so were going to take care of women, going to take care of women who dont always have the resources to have the premier health care. Nermeen congresswoman lawrence, we played all of these clips from the hearing. How would you evaluate yesterdays hearing and what impact you think it is likely to have on planned parenthood . I hope the public saw how vicious and how insensitive that hearing was. It was insensitive because the misuse of facts repeatedly was totally inappropriate. , that womanat woman who is the ceo of a health care it,ider, on trial, as i saw for five hours. Five hours. Repeating the same erroneous statement that, you are using federal dollars here, and we should control that because we are giving you dollars. And they know that is why made a comment. My colleagues are more intelligent than that. I know these individuals. I work with them. But in that setting, something that was totally inappropriate, something that i question the integrity of the questions and it makes me look at my colleagues differently because you can have an agenda, but attack it with facts. Attack it with real data and test we are oversight. Our job is to explore and to that are, wessues feel, not in compliance with the law. At no time do they say that planned parenthood was violating any laws. The videotape that they were using as the premise to bring her before us has been documented and the gentleman who did the tapes is being investigated because in california, you cant interview someone without them knowing it. It has been proven that those tapes have been sliced and diced put together to present to meet an agenda message. And that message is that planned parenthood, for some reason, is doing something wrong. Let me talk about were talking about the fetal tissue. Do you understand that that is a major part of research, medical research in america . And it has been used for decades. And it is approved by federal law. So the fact that we have fetal tissues being given to research and Scientific Research is something that our medical industry has been doing for years. And thank god they have. Because as a result of that, we of been able to find cures to so many different diseases. Vaccinations. People are living longer children, babies are living longer because of that. Amy i want to turn your fellow congressmember Gerald Connolly of virginia who came to planned parenthoods defense. Misogyny,respect, the rampant here today, tells us what is really going on here. This isnt about some bogus video. The author from does not have occurred to appear here. Nor with the majority call him because they know he will make a bad witness under oath. A conservative philosophy that says we are constitutionalists, we believe in personal liberty with one big carveout, though. There is an asterisk in that assertion. And that is, except when it comes to women controlling their own bodies and making their own health decisions. David wholled out made the videos, without calling him by name. Commerce woman lawrence, your thoughts on the possibility of him ever appearing before the congress . Andt is my understanding this is what i was told, if he came, he would have to say, i plead the fifth, because he, too, is under indictment. This is another thing that was very clear, the attack on her salary. And the research has been conducted that she is a ceo of a National Health care provider. And her salary is right in the middle she is not even at the top. So to come after her and say, oh, you make a lot of money. She has an extreme amount of responsibility. She sees over 2 million patients. Her organization does come a year. And to go after her salary is very telling of the onslaught of mail attack after attack after attack. And because so you are calling the representatives sexist . Wascing a questioning clearly sexist. Amico were going to leave it there and i think he remains for joining us, congressman Rideau Lawrence of michigan on the House Committee on oversight and government reform. Part of the planned parenthood hearing that was held on tuesday. When we come back, we go to oklahoma. Richard glossip had a stay of execution last night. One of his biggest advocates is antideath penalty activists sister Helen Prejean. She was to see him if she died, she would she was to see them if he died. Today she is a very different story to report. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with no means shaikh. Nermeen we end todays show with what many are calling a major victory for the antideath penalty movement. Just moments before deathrow inmate Richard Glossip was scheduled to be killed on wednesday, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin issued a stay of execution. She wrote in a Statement Last minute questions were raised today about oklahomas execution protocol and the chemicals used for lethal injection. After consulting with the attorney general and the department of corrections, i have issued a 37 day stay of execution while the state addresses those questions and ensures it is complying fully with the protocols approved by federal courts. The stay is intended to give the department of corrections and its attorneys time to determine whether potassium acetate complies with the states courtapproved execution procedures. Amy Richard Glossips case has attracted international attention. On wednesday, pope francis urged oklahoma governor fallin to commute the death sentence over questions of glossips guilt. The case dates back to 1997 when glossip was working as a manager at the best budget inn in Oklahoma City when his boss, barry van treese, was murdered. A maintenance worker, justin sneed, admitted he beat van treese to death with a baseball bat, but claimed glossip offered him money and Job Opportunities for the killing. The case rested almost solely on sneeds claims. No physical evidence ever tied glossip to the crime. And sneed, in exchange for his information did not receive the , death penalty. Well, for more, were joined now on the phone by sister Helen Prejean. As a catholic nun, she began her Prison Ministry over 30 years ago. She is the author of the bestselling book, dead man walking an eyewitness account of the death penalty. Welcome back. Were speaking to you every day. This is absolutely astounding what has taken place in oklahoma. So the stay of execution was issued not over the innocence or guilt of Richard Glossip, but over which drug they would use to kill him . It is stunning. I was in the room where the witnesses were being held. We were not getting any information. So it 2 30, richard he was a bus to be killed at 3 00. I looked at my watch at 2 30. At 3 00 him nothing happened. 3 15, 3 30. I thought it would be because the Supreme Court was really ,ooking at the new evidence possible innocence. In fact, willie got one vote for the Supreme Court and was only when we were brought out that we heard that they had messed up the drugs. This potassium acetate, they thought they should have had potassium chloride, which stops the heart and they had it was a food additive or food deserve howf, which just shows you broken the bloody thing is. You reach for the wrong vial . To me, what it shows most of all is how broken the system is because the Supreme Court has turned over to the States Administration of death. And theyre not even supervising were asking accountability for what drugs theyre using and allowing them they got the wrong bloody vial and only at the last minute discovered that they had potassium acetate. Amy what happens now . Have you spoken to Richard Glossip . Yes. He was really you can see he is losing weight. The stress is really getting to him. He was just saying, i thought this time really might be it. I was sitting in myself and nobody was coming. He wasnt getting any information at all. I felt that a little bit just being with the witnesses, much less when youre the one sitting in that l. So what happens next . On one level, they might just clean up the protocol, get the right drugs and say, lets go again. Unless Something Else happens. Unless the lawyers can bring the issue to the 10th circuit, which they did not they went straight to the Supreme Court yesterday. And just show all of the new witnesses that show the complete unreliability of the man justin sneed which the state themselves characterized as inherently suspect. It just shows you know, in one of the amy we have 10 seconds. Execrable court of appeals in the dissent, one said, this man did not have a fair trial, obviously. There needs to be away the new evidence can be looked at because the three of them might be innocent. Amy we believe it there. One of the worlds most wellknown antideath penalty activists speaking to us from oklahoma. She was to be one of the witnesses at Richard Glossips execution, but he was not killed. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] oxoxoxoxr you introduce the man and the woman. And then you complicate it for the next 60, 70 minutes. You know theyre going to get together, but its fun to watch how they keep missing