Texas women's rights hero at ease in DC appearance where she fielded questions about her next move – and Hillary Clinton
Six weeks ago, Wendy Davis was stood on the floor of the Texas senate, wearing pink trainers, a back brace and, according to some reports, a catheter.
The Democratic senator became became an overnight sensation when she tried to single-handedly thwart changes to abortion laws in the state, speaking continuously for almost 11 hours in a gruelling feat of endurance.
On Monday, Davis, who suddenly finds herself a liberal hero being tipped for great political success, was faced with a very different challenge: trying to win over an audience of Washington insiders.
She appeared unfazed. A figure virtually unknown outside of Texas two months ago, Davis dealt with the question of whether she now plans to run for Texas governor with all the cool of a seasoned Capitol Hill politician. "I do think that in Texas people feel we need a change from the very fractured, very partisan leadership that we're seeing in our state government right now," she said, adding that she was working hard to decide her next move.
She added: "I can say with absolute certainty that I will run for one of two offices: either my state senate seat or for the governor."
Davis, who represents Fort Worth, spoke continuously for 10 hours and 45 minutes on June 25, in an effort to block a law that is expected to drastically reduce access to abortion in the state. The filibuster – a parliamentary maneuver that can be used to delay and ultimately block legislation – helped temporarily block the bill, although last month it was passed into law Rick Perry, the Republican governor, who recalled legislators for a special session to get the changes enacted.
However the filibuster catapulted Davis to a nationally recognised figure, making her an almost instant figurehead for women's reproductive rights and the pro-choice movement. The pair of pink sneakers she wore during the marathon speech instantly became an unlikely feminist symbol – and the bestselling shoe on Amazon.com.
Her address at the National Press Club on Monday was the state senator's opportunity to introduce herself to a Washington audience.
Davis's backstory – that of a divorced single-mom from an impoverished background – is rare among US politicians. But it is a feel-good narrative that will appeal to America's soft-spot for success in the face of adversity. "By the time I was 19, I was already married, divorced and a single mother," she said. "Anyone who believes everything is bigger in Texas never saw the trailer my daughter and I lived in."
There are few American politicians who can talk first-hand, as Davis did on Monday, about having to relinquish her belongings to a pawn shop to pay for a flat tire. Fewer still can speak with authority about cutting 99-cent frozen pizzas into quarters to make them last for four meals, ensuring there was enough in the weekly budget left over for baby food.
"Experiences like that can absolutely narrow your vision," she said. "They can crush your optimism." With the aid of scholarships, Davis went to Harvard law school and later entered local politics.
Davis described the filibuster speech, which Republicans tried to block, as "the longest 13 hours of my life" and "a test of physical and mental endurance". In contrast to other states, the filibuster rules in the Texas senate are particularly restrictive. Davis set out to speak for 13 hours without sitting, touching her on a desk, taking a break or drifting off-topic in order to thwart passage.
Davis said the strict rules were part of a strong tradition in Texas, but Republicans insisted on "an extraordinary level of adherence to the Senate rules".
She said that before she began her marathon speech, a fellow senator told her: "It is not that bad. You can lean on your desk. You can have a few hard candies in your pocket. People on occasion have been known to give their colleagues ice chips on the Senate floor."
Davis added: "It didn't take very long to figure out that wasn't exactly the response I was going to get from many of my colleagues in the senate that day."
During her first outing in Washington since her now-famous speech, Davis looked at ease. She turned on the emotion, speaking powerfully about reading her first book at community college: "I'll never forget what that book felt like in my hands – it was an incredible, overpowering moment," she said.
Seeking to distance herself from the image of a liberal icon, she sought to paint herself as a pragmatist who was elected in a typically Republican stronghold and used to working constructively with the opposite party.
And she effectively dodged the few difficult questions – all which had been pre-vetted by the Press Club. Any questions intended to compare her to Hillary Clinton, for example, were deftly handled.
Asked for example if she would consider serving as Clinton's running mate on a 2016 presidential ticket – which is a perhaps a little far-fetched, despite her sudden rise to fame – she sidestepped. "We'll have to find out whether Hillary's planning to run for president first."
Asked if Clinton could win Texas – also a bit of a stretch – she didn't flinch: "Hillary Clinton has a chance to do just about anything she sets her mind to."
Davis also elicited genuine laughter from the audience on the several occasions she risked making jokes. The best-received was at the expense of Perry, her nemesis, whose bid to become the Republican candidate for president came unstuck during a debate when he said he wanted to eliminate three federal agencies, but was the unable to list them.
Asked what she thought about Perry considering a 2016 presidential bid, she replied: "I have three responses to that."
The new abortion law, which was signed by Perry last month, bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy in the state, limits the procedure to surgical centres, mandates that only a physician may dispense or administer abortion-inducing drugs, and requires clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
Davis told the press club that the law "robs Texan women of their voice" and that it was expected to force the closure of 37 of the Texas's 42 abortion clinics. In a state where women have to travel great distances to reach clinics, Davis said the law would mean "women will literally lose their access to care".
Republican backers argue the bill will protect women's health by forcing abortion providers to operate higher standards. A poll in June found a majority of Texans opposed to the bill and 80% of them did not want abortion to be raised during the special session called by Perry.
Although a traditional bastion of Republicanism, Texas's growing Hispanic population, and increasing urban conurbations, have led some to suggest that if Davis stands for governor, she might even win. Reported by guardian.co.uk 23 hours ago.
Six weeks ago, Wendy Davis was stood on the floor of the Texas senate, wearing pink trainers, a back brace and, according to some reports, a catheter.
The Democratic senator became became an overnight sensation when she tried to single-handedly thwart changes to abortion laws in the state, speaking continuously for almost 11 hours in a gruelling feat of endurance.
On Monday, Davis, who suddenly finds herself a liberal hero being tipped for great political success, was faced with a very different challenge: trying to win over an audience of Washington insiders.
She appeared unfazed. A figure virtually unknown outside of Texas two months ago, Davis dealt with the question of whether she now plans to run for Texas governor with all the cool of a seasoned Capitol Hill politician. "I do think that in Texas people feel we need a change from the very fractured, very partisan leadership that we're seeing in our state government right now," she said, adding that she was working hard to decide her next move.
She added: "I can say with absolute certainty that I will run for one of two offices: either my state senate seat or for the governor."
Davis, who represents Fort Worth, spoke continuously for 10 hours and 45 minutes on June 25, in an effort to block a law that is expected to drastically reduce access to abortion in the state. The filibuster – a parliamentary maneuver that can be used to delay and ultimately block legislation – helped temporarily block the bill, although last month it was passed into law Rick Perry, the Republican governor, who recalled legislators for a special session to get the changes enacted.
However the filibuster catapulted Davis to a nationally recognised figure, making her an almost instant figurehead for women's reproductive rights and the pro-choice movement. The pair of pink sneakers she wore during the marathon speech instantly became an unlikely feminist symbol – and the bestselling shoe on Amazon.com.
Her address at the National Press Club on Monday was the state senator's opportunity to introduce herself to a Washington audience.
Davis's backstory – that of a divorced single-mom from an impoverished background – is rare among US politicians. But it is a feel-good narrative that will appeal to America's soft-spot for success in the face of adversity. "By the time I was 19, I was already married, divorced and a single mother," she said. "Anyone who believes everything is bigger in Texas never saw the trailer my daughter and I lived in."
There are few American politicians who can talk first-hand, as Davis did on Monday, about having to relinquish her belongings to a pawn shop to pay for a flat tire. Fewer still can speak with authority about cutting 99-cent frozen pizzas into quarters to make them last for four meals, ensuring there was enough in the weekly budget left over for baby food.
"Experiences like that can absolutely narrow your vision," she said. "They can crush your optimism." With the aid of scholarships, Davis went to Harvard law school and later entered local politics.
Davis described the filibuster speech, which Republicans tried to block, as "the longest 13 hours of my life" and "a test of physical and mental endurance". In contrast to other states, the filibuster rules in the Texas senate are particularly restrictive. Davis set out to speak for 13 hours without sitting, touching her on a desk, taking a break or drifting off-topic in order to thwart passage.
Davis said the strict rules were part of a strong tradition in Texas, but Republicans insisted on "an extraordinary level of adherence to the Senate rules".
She said that before she began her marathon speech, a fellow senator told her: "It is not that bad. You can lean on your desk. You can have a few hard candies in your pocket. People on occasion have been known to give their colleagues ice chips on the Senate floor."
Davis added: "It didn't take very long to figure out that wasn't exactly the response I was going to get from many of my colleagues in the senate that day."
During her first outing in Washington since her now-famous speech, Davis looked at ease. She turned on the emotion, speaking powerfully about reading her first book at community college: "I'll never forget what that book felt like in my hands – it was an incredible, overpowering moment," she said.
Seeking to distance herself from the image of a liberal icon, she sought to paint herself as a pragmatist who was elected in a typically Republican stronghold and used to working constructively with the opposite party.
And she effectively dodged the few difficult questions – all which had been pre-vetted by the Press Club. Any questions intended to compare her to Hillary Clinton, for example, were deftly handled.
Asked for example if she would consider serving as Clinton's running mate on a 2016 presidential ticket – which is a perhaps a little far-fetched, despite her sudden rise to fame – she sidestepped. "We'll have to find out whether Hillary's planning to run for president first."
Asked if Clinton could win Texas – also a bit of a stretch – she didn't flinch: "Hillary Clinton has a chance to do just about anything she sets her mind to."
Davis also elicited genuine laughter from the audience on the several occasions she risked making jokes. The best-received was at the expense of Perry, her nemesis, whose bid to become the Republican candidate for president came unstuck during a debate when he said he wanted to eliminate three federal agencies, but was the unable to list them.
Asked what she thought about Perry considering a 2016 presidential bid, she replied: "I have three responses to that."
The new abortion law, which was signed by Perry last month, bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy in the state, limits the procedure to surgical centres, mandates that only a physician may dispense or administer abortion-inducing drugs, and requires clinic doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.
Davis told the press club that the law "robs Texan women of their voice" and that it was expected to force the closure of 37 of the Texas's 42 abortion clinics. In a state where women have to travel great distances to reach clinics, Davis said the law would mean "women will literally lose their access to care".
Republican backers argue the bill will protect women's health by forcing abortion providers to operate higher standards. A poll in June found a majority of Texans opposed to the bill and 80% of them did not want abortion to be raised during the special session called by Perry.
Although a traditional bastion of Republicanism, Texas's growing Hispanic population, and increasing urban conurbations, have led some to suggest that if Davis stands for governor, she might even win. Reported by guardian.co.uk 23 hours ago.