Comments live. Then Alex Rouhandeh talks about news of the day on capitol hill, including the delay by House Republicans and bringing articles of impeachment against Homeland Security secretary Alejandra Mayorkas to the senate. And then jared bass with the center for American Progress and Christian Cooper of the foundation for research on equal opportunity to talk about President Bidens revised student loan forgiveness plan. Also, lisa curtis, Program Director for the indo pacific on the japanese Prime Ministers u. S. Visit, and the Security Alliance between the two countries in the face of threats from china. Washington journal starts now. Host good morning. Wednesday, april 10. Yesterday, the Arizona Supreme Court imposed a near total ban on abortion, citing an 1864 law that forbids the procedure except his ailing mothers life. It also punishes providers with six years of prison time. The first halfhour, we will get your reaction to the arizona ruling. Publicans, 202 7488001. Republicans, 202 7488001. Democrats, 202 7488000. Independents, 202 7488002. We have a specialine set aside for arizona residents, 202 88003. That is the same number you would call to text us. You can be sure to send your first name, city and state. We are also on social media, facebook. Com cspan, and on x at cspanwj. We will start with an article about the subject from Arizona Central that says abortion in arizona said to be illegal in nearly all circumstances. The article says the Arizona Supreme Court on tuesday upheld a 160 year old law that bans abortions and punishes doctors that provide them, saying that the band that existed before arizona became a state can be enforced going forward. The ruling indicated that it cannot be retroactively enforced and the court state enforcement for 14 days continues in mandates two years to five years in prison for anyone aiding and abortion except if the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother. It requires at least one year in prison for a woman seeking an abortion the law was repealed in 2021. Lets look at what arizonas derek craddick demo democratic arizonas democrat governor said, criticizing it. [video clip] it is a dark day in arizona. Just now, the Arizona Court issued its decision, upholding one of the most extreme abortion bands in the country. And while it has currently stayed, we continue to live under a law that still strips arizonans of their personal autonomy and has no exceptions for women who are the victims of rape, incest, or any regard for pregnancy complication. Let me be clear. Arizonas 2022 abortion ban is extreme and hurts women. The civil war era band that continues to hang over our heads only serves to create marc casper women and doctors in our state. As governor, i promise i will do everything in my power to protect our reproductive freedom. [end video clip] host that was the governor of arizona. We are talking about the Arizona Supreme Court ruling from yesterday about abortion. Here is nbc news that says the white house says Vice President harris will travel to arizona after the abortion ban ruling. The Supreme Court ruled that a 160yearold near abortion ban still on the books in the state can be enforced. Here is what the White House Press secretary said yesterday about that ruling. [video clip] with todays decisions, millions of arizonans will face an even more extreme and dangerous abortion ban than they did before. This arizona law, which was initially enacted in 1864, more than 150 years ago, fails to protect women, even when their health is at risk, or in horrific cases of rape or incest. There are now 21 extreme state abortion bands in effect across the country. One third of all women of reproductive age now live in a state with an abortion ban. And all of them, including the one upheld today, upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court, are a direct result of the Supreme Court overturning roe v. Wade. When the president s predecessor handicapped three Supreme Court justices to overturn roe v. Wade, it paved the way for the chaos and confusion we are seeing play out across the country today. President biden and Vice President harris will continue to stand with the vast majority of americans support a womans right to choose, and they will continue to fight to protect reproductive rights and call on congress to pass a law restoring the protections of roe v. Wade for women in every state. [end video clip] host here is an article from axios, arizonas bombshell tests trumps abortion gamble, saying that one day before former President Trump declared abortion should be left to the states, the Arizona Supreme Court revise the law, effectively banning all abortions with the exception only to state a mothers life. It delivered a massive political gift to democrats, who could not have asked for better timing to highlight the consequences of trumps abortion ruling sorry, the consequences of trumps abortion position. Lets take a quick look at part of the video that former President Trump put out on monday about his position on abortion bans. [video clip] now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the vote will be determined by legislation in whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. Many will have a Different Number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that is what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or, in many cases, your religion or faith. Do what is right for your family, and do what is right for yourself, do what is right for your children, do what is right for our country and vote. So important to vote. At the end of the day, it is all about will of the people. That is where we are right now, and that is what we want, the will of the people. [end video clip] host we will go to your calls about the Arizona Supreme Court decision. Haroldin livingston, tennessee. Democrat. Caller thank you for taking my call. This is awful what they have done. Women aint going to have a chance for nothing. Women, you better get out and vote and stand up and vote because this is pitiful. Theyre going to be little girls and women dying. It is just not right. This aint biblical or nothing else like that. God would not put anybody in this kind of punishment. A lot of this right here is coming from the churches. If donald trump says this, you can bet it is nationwide. It is all about keeping control of women. Womens rights matter, womens lives matter, and i think god will stand up and vote and vote and vote, and thank you so much for having a show about this this morning because two women, this is important to women right here because this is a matter of life and death. Women vote. Thank you. Host lets talk to ben in pennsylvania, republican. Caller good morning. First of all, i would like to see my heart truly goes out to any woman who has had to make this difficult decision. Talk about this in terms of politics, so i feel like we are desensitized to what should be a sensitive issue. That being said, to quote President Trump, it has to be the will of the people, and when he said it should be up to the legislature of each state, eight vote or, frankly, both, legislature and vote, to a certain extent i agree, but i would prefer it be a vote of the people and each state versus a law passed by the legislature. So, overall, i do 100 agree it should be left up to the states and that should be the law of the land. Host do you disagree that this is being handled by the courts . In this case, this was a Supreme Court decision. Caller oh, in that case, my apologies, i understood it as it was a law that they decided the state constitutionality host the law was from 1864. So the Supreme Court decided, yes, we can enforce that law. Caller understood. No, i mean, if it is a Court Decision like that, no, i think there needs to be more say on that versus justo unilateral decision like that and arizonas case. Host lets talk to trish, democrat. Caller i would like to thank ben, for a man to stand up and say that in this day and age, you just dont hear men trying to come out and support as women, so bravo on that, and as far as all the state rights, it was a u. S. Constitution that had this all settled until the former guy had to stick his nose in it and dillydally around and would like to tease everybody, so that happened. He is the one who started it, and then he makes everybody else do the work. Im retired. Actually, a retired labor and delivery nurse, and some of the crap they pull out pulling these babies out it doesnt happen, people. It just doesnt happen. My point is, if that is what hes going to do about the abortion rights, how soon and hard far behind are they with, well, the states can decide their own Social Security . The states can decide their own medicare . Oh, like i could believe that. I do have one last thing to say, i would like to say thank you to all the military people and their families for their service to our nation. Thank you. Host thats dr. Joe, independent, new jersey. Lets talk to joe, independent, new jersey. Caller i just wanted to say a couple of things. This is not about women. This is about the baby being killed. It has nothing to do with the women, and if it was about the women, they keep on saying they have the power, it is their body, they have the power to do what they want. Well, why do they keep on getting pregnant . One other thing, i dont think the government should pay for all of this. If they have a couple of five minutes, 10 minutes of joy, they should pay for this, the abortion, nobody else. Thank you. Bye. Host this is the latest map from the Washington Post on abortion access. So the dark red color here is a an on all is a ban on all or most abortion. The great is it is still legal. And you can see here that the origin color is banned after 12 or 15 weeks, but florida and arizona have a new ban taking effect, so florida, six weeks, arizona, we are talking about that right now. And we will go to eddie, republican, city sits massachusetts. Caller good morning. Im a christian, and i believe killing a baby is a mortal sin. I believe moses came down with the 10 commandments. I believe muslims and buddhists all believe something the same. They believe when a baby is born, it is already nine months old. As a taxpayer, i do not believe that government should be aborting babies. I thought roe versus wade said that you could not abort a baby, you cannot convict the doctor or nurse, but what im against, we do not believe we should be paying for abortions. Host andy, if it was paid for by private insurance, would that make a difference to you . Caller right, if you wished to abort her baby, that is your responsibility. Not government. The father said Something Like we should make no laws, but atheists and agnostics, communists abort babies. China said, you can only have one babies. So governments there abort babies. Russia kidnaps babies. This is what authoritarians do. I do not believe government should be responsible for a womans pregnancy. Host got it. And here is axios that says republicans rushed to distant from disaster arizona abortion ruling, saying that republican candidates are scrambling to create distance between themselves and the Arizona Supreme Court. They upheld a near total ban in the state, and they say it is part of the difficult balancing act republicans have had to perform since roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Just on monday, former President Trump put vulnerable House Republicans at ease by stopping short of endorsing a nationwide abortion ban. Lets take a look at when reporters tried to question Mitch Mcconnell about his reaction to the arizona decision and former president s stance on a federal ban. [video clip] the Arizona Supreme Court moved toward a total ban on abortion, [indiscernible] are you concerned . You are asking me about an Arizona Supreme Court decision. I have not taken a look at it yet, but im certain, as you are, that this whole issue will continue to unfold during the course of the campaign. Leader mcconnell, do you agree with former President Trump that this issue should remain with the states and it should not be a federal ban . [end video clip] host that was from yesterday. We are taking your calls on the topic on the Arizona Supreme Court ruling, saying that in 1864, a law banning abortion in all cases except for the life of the mother, can be enforced, and here is horace in pennsylvania, democrat. Caller hello . Host hello. Caller good morning, my dear. How are you . Host im doing great. Go right ahead. Caller this foolish man, donald trump, has ripped this whole unfortunate thing upside down on its side. When this foolish man put those judges on the Supreme Court, he made it bad for every living woman in america. This guy is no good. And hats off to all american women who know what theyre going to do. They are going to make sure that this idiot does not become president. Thank you, my dear. And host janet is a democrat in youngsville, pennsylvania. Good morning. Caller good morning. Host go right ahead. We are listening. Caller i think what brought all this abortion stuff on his all the old men running our country do not want to have their grandkids in the armed forces, and it is the less privileged kids who fight for our country. Not everyone can claim they have achilles heel. Im just saying, step up, women, and go vote. Thank you. Host all right, janet. Jeff is an independent in wisconsin. Caller good morning. Thank you for my call. First time ive called in, so i appreciate it. I just wanted to maybe ask cspan, sometimes you have guests on, maybe someone can talk about the history of abortion in the United States because what i heard this law back from 1860, thinking if you put yourself back in 1860, they talk about women could not vote and all these things, and i was thinking, 1860, they probably did not have abortions within the first 15 weeks. They probably had to wait until the birthday, the birth because they wanted to save the life of the mother, so maybe they had to have abortion at that time and not the first 15 weeks. I think people should get out and vote. And change the laws so they are more modern. Thank you. Host robert is next in michigan. Independent. Caller good morning, how are you doing . Host doing great. Caller i have one statement about this, i dont think it should be, you know, arizona im sorry. Inc. About it like this, back in 1864, when they made that ban, the procedure itself, i mean, anything about it back then, they did not have none of this stuff to provide a good safety procedure, and that is probably maybe one of the reasons they banned it back then because you know, im just theorizing it is possible there were a lot of complications, and maybe there were a lot of deaths to women because of the procedure itself and how they did it. Back then, it was pretty nasty probably. But, now, the procedure is done in a pretty safe, sterilized way , and that is all i have to say about it. I think it should be up to womens choice. Host this is frank on facebook, houses, arizona, florida, and a few other republican run states around the country are going to get a reality check in november. They have pushed women way too far since the roe decision. Lauren on facebook, the provision of any state abortion law allows it if the mothers life is endangered, but this falls down to state rights which was the whole idea behind the Supreme Court. Dennis is next, this, tennessee. Mccright. Caller democrat. Caller good morning, mimi. Host what do you think . Caller i was listening to what the caller from new jersey said, it had nothing to do with women . Well, he said this has nothing to do with women. This has to do with a bunch of guys sitting around saying, well, we say you should not do this. Well, that is one thing, this is all about women. It has nothing to do with women, but please, come november, women, let them know what you stand for. Please, come out and vote, women. Thank you. Have a good day. Host francis in michigan. Democrat. Caller hi, how are you . Host good, how is it going . Caller well, i think the world is overpopulated right now and something has to happen. Host you think abortion is the way to deal with that . Caller well, it is one way. Maybe there is someone who needs to be looking at it really hard and needs to have a program on that. Host we will talk to kyle and new york. Republican. Caller good morning. The problem i have is the Supreme Court really did our country a disservice because in some regards, they overdid roe v. Wade and get it back to the states. The Supreme Court justice is that some people complained about, they were questioned and asked if they were going to do anything to roe v. Wade, and since you had the trump ministrations and Obama Administration, they all said that it was law, and they were not going to touch it. What did they do . They touched it. They give it back to the states. You have liberal and conservative states, and c