"Face the Nation" on April 16, 2023

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, thank you, Margaret. I'm happy to be here.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well --

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

No, it -- for me it hasn't changed. And we were -- we're going to make sure, and we already are, that we have access to all of those medications. But if the response is, we'll stockpile instead of protecting all access, then we're minimizing the work that we have to do to make sure that women and families are fully protected. Not that in and of itself there's a disagreement by a state that's making sure that irrespective of the legal decisions we're going to make sure that medication abortion is available in our state.

But I think that we are moving - And to Jan's point -- it's every social issue that you disagree with. Is it stem cell research? Is it fertility drugs? Whatever it is in this context, if we're going to use the federal courts as a way to bar and ban access, we are looking at a national abortion ban and more. And I think states have to ban together to do as much as they can in opposition to that.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

That's right.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

We do. We do now. So, the last time I was here we didn't, and you were -- and thank you -- talking about Colorado's work. We now have a law both codifying right to abortion, abortion care and access, as well as gender affirming care in the state. So that just got signed by me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

There are no limits. So, for us, and from --

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

It can be. I mean, look, it's 1 percent of all abortions and that's still a sizable number of abortions worldwide.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Correct. However, you know, look, these are women that have named these soon-to-be born babies. These are horrific medical conditions. And, again, New Mexico's position and mine is that we should not be interfering with a woman's right, medical situation, and her decision about that life-threatening potential circumstance. We shouldn't be doing that.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Yes.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

So that's -

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

It - it is. That is not defined. It is left to two physicians make that decision with the patient. That's the issue is that the government's --

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Two physicians. Uh-huh.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, of course, and that is -

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I find that argument not to be nearly as compelling as the arguments that we make that we should be focused on, contraceptives and better maternal health care, which means you have better outcomes. It's the wrong side of the argument. And it pushes buttons for people's fears about what's really happening. Late-term abortions should occur as rarely as humanly possible and they should be only for life- threatening conditions of the - of the fetus or the mother, and that should be analyzed by that physician.

If we start making any access points, which we are all around the country, you end up with triggers and six weeks, fewer than six weeks. These are all barriers to women's health care, comprehensive reproductive health care. And New Mexico's going to stand with many other states to make sure that's not the direction we're headed in.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

And Oklahoma.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Uh-huh.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

But sovereign land - yes, but sovereign land is a whole different designation of federalism and federal land.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

We aren't doing it now, but I think we will, and I think we can.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, a couple different ways. A sovereign nation makes its own decisions. Now, the question that I think you're asking is, would we use Medicaid to actually pay for those services? That is complicated with the Hyde Amendment. So the answer there is no.

But we do a ton of state investments and tribes have their own resources. They're already building behavioral health clinics. They run hospitals. They run primary care clinics. They're already in the business of delivering health care. And at least one of those tribes, the Pueblo in New Mexico, has certainly indicated that they would be more than ready, willing, able, and interested to make sure that access -- because women of color have limited access for a number of reasons all over the country. And these are Pueblos that want to make sure that the women and families in their Pueblo or sovereign nation have equal access irrespective of distances that they might have to travel.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, I don't think the White House is looking at it, but they have heard loud and clear from a variety of states, including New York, that every federal tool in the toolbox ought to be used to protect and expand access. New Mexico has an opportunity with 23 independent tribes to do that in a little different way. And so the point was, we won't leave any access point, right, on the table if it makes sense and we have willing partners.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

I think we do. And I think having at least $4 billion, which is an incentive. Look, people aren't going to give up water rights and automatically lean in to do conservation. It's hard. And it's full of risk. The Biden administration, rightly so, got money available to create incentives so that we're doing better conservation and management. We've got six states working pretty well together. California, big water user, going to be tough. But with good snowpacks, money, incentives, and cooperation, we are in the best place ever to do something meaningful about this.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source