In conversation with women's activism group Supermajority cofounder Cecile Richards, Sen. Bernie Sanders listed the three things he's done for women he's most proud of: His 100% pro-choice voting record. Starting a citywide Council on Women when he was mayor of Burlington, VT. Working with Richards — the former president of Planned Parenthood — and Planned Parenthood to defend the organization from being defunded by extremists.
But in an age when women's reproductive rights are continually threatened, there is so much more to be done, Sanders told her. "Everybody knows that women's reproductive rights are under massive assault all across this country," he said. "Right-wing Republicans who have this mantra that they believe in small government — 'We're going to deregulate corporations, they can pollute all they want!' ... Oh, by the way, you're a woman? Well, we're going to tell every woman in America what she can do with her own body. That is profound hypocrisy, it disgusts me very much." If elected president, he said he would do everything in his power to "significantly increase funding for Planned Parenthood."
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The talk was part of a series of interviews with all of the major presidential candidates, in which Refinery29 and Supermajority asked questions sent from women across the country. Because despite the fact that women are the majority of voters, subjects like reproductive rights and paid family leave have yet to see their limelight on the Democratic debate stage — and this is one way to change the conversation.
Watch the video to learn more about Sanders' stances on reproductive rights, how his Jewish identity has shaped his presidential campaign, and why he thinks you should "drag your friends kicking and screaming into the polling booth."