Alyssa Milano blasts ‘Texas Taliban’ over new abortion law
Alyssa Milano is blasting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and what she’s dubbing the “Texas Taliban” for enacting the nation’s most restrictive abortion law.
She’s also urging Democrats to nix the legislative filibuster which “lets a few white men in the GOP in the Senate hurt women across America.”
“I think one of the most effective ways we can break cycle of abuse of women by weak men in the Texas state government is to make life much less financially comfortable for the people and corporations that fund their campaigns,” the former “Charmed” actor told ITK Friday when asked about the legislation in the Lone Star State.
Earlier this week the Supreme Court refused, in a 5-4 decision, to block the state’s law banning nearly all abortions.
“Abbott and his Texas Taliban have shown over and over and over again that they don’t care about women, the poor, or people of color. But they do care about money, above all else,” Milano, who told ITK in June that she’s considering a congressional bid in California, said.
But unlike in 2019, when the progressive activist spearheaded a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), signed by more than 40 celebrities, that threatened to push film production crews out of the state in protest of its “heartbeat” abortion bill, Milano indicated this time around she’s weighing her next move.
On Friday another entertainer, Rosanna Arquette, said she rejected a Texas-based project because of the state’s new abortion bill.
Ive just turned down a film i love cause it shoots in Texas .
— rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) September 3, 2021
Boycott all companies based in texas that do not speak out against the despicable draconian evil that is happening there Boycott them all .their tax dollars fuel this shit so Boycott them Now not one cent to support them no matter what.
— rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) September 3, 2021
“It’s really important that we don’t hurt the communities who are already being hurt by Abbott’s failures,” Milano, speaking generally, said. “I don’t want to lead a boycott that will get cashiers at a gas station laid off while the CEO of the oil company takes another bonus.”
“So what I plan on doing is following the lead of organizations led by women and people of color on the ground in Texas. Today, barely 36 hours after the horrible Supreme Court decision that jeopardizes lives in Texas by denying abortion care to pregnant people, I don’t know exactly what that action will look like.”
Milano, 48, added that what she does know “for sure” is that “at the federal level, the filibuster cannot stand.”
“Democrats won a united government, and need to use it,” the “Sorry Not Sorry” podcast host said.
“Right now, Congress could pass legislation that would protect the right of women to access reproductive health care no matter where they live in America, but the filibuster lets a few white men in the GOP in the Senate hurt women across America,” Milano said, before calling out Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) for their defense of the 60-vote requirement for most legislation to pass in the upper chamber.
Manchin and Sinema, Milano said, “need to stop being collaborators with the patriarchy and get out of the way of progress.”
“You can be damn sure I’ll be fighting for that as the actions in Texas take shape,” Milano added.
Milano also suggested that states such as California and Massachusetts which “do respect women and their bodily autonomy” could be known as “reproductive health care sanctuary states” following Texas’s abortion law.
“Health care providers and people facing lawsuits or criminal charges over abortion care in Texas or other regressive states should be free from that persecution if they are able to get to a sanctuary state,” Milano said.
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