>> the district courts are quite complicated to determine the credibility and reliability of expert testimony. the trial court in this case determined there was no evidence to support texas contention of medical justification for these laws. further had they provided this important benefit for outpatient surgery that would be applicable. so texas law specifically authorizes other surgical procedures including those under general anesthesia that abortion is not to be in the physician's office. in into admitting privileges

to have a transfer agreement so they target one of the safest procedures they could have in the outpatient setting. >> the case is submitted

c-span: is senator ted seibald then go back to that apartment on convention night, in 1984 in wisconsin what is the story?. >> guest: fresh out of college, had yet to land my first job. beene had barely dried on the diploma with a double major of mathematics and government my whole future was ahead of me my first

efficiency apartment sparse lead decorated a sparse television and the mattress on the floor. i watched the dnc to watch geraldine ferraro take the stage with my whole life ahead of me into a spider into anything. as a woman for the first time to be nominated to one of the highest positions in the land, in the world. it was a chance formative moment. >> host: we will watch the video from 1984. >> as i stand before the american people to think of this great convention has bestowed upon me i recall of words of dr. martin luther

king to say occasionally in life the meaning can only be articulated. with the inaudible language of the car. it is such a moment for me tonight. >> anybody tell you that you look like her? >> not at the moment i was a 22 year-old college grad. c-span: was the inspiration? >> immelt for -- it was obvious but it was an element with the idea that we have never seen so --

somebody that looked like me in the role such as that for vice president. and i think when you begin to see people have shared life experiences especially with glass ceilings and barriers and obstacles that opens up doors of possibilities that it did not exist. we could not open them before. >> you are in madison wisconsin graduating from smith college but what is the atmosphere at the time? >> it just graduated from college i took one year off from the university of wisconsin it is the fascinating time because i

launched early on dash fully into politics but colada advocacy organizations with the internship in the governor's office working on issues. with that comparable worth initiative to compensate fairly to work side by side but class is that or female or male dominated in dip was fascinating for a math end government major because it was number crunching and statistical analysis at the same time calling for policy to create fairness and equity with the county board

in that evening. and working on people's campaigns to mystify the process. to have the tinkling that it had great gyrate -- joy to better people's lives but it was not too long after that that i entered law school. and i started to study law and before you know, that the empty county board supervisor who represented a campus district was retiring c-span: how long we won the county board? >> that spans the time 1986

through 1994. >> i was advised that i should be carefully before i read in moscow all but he got a glimmer in his eye if you decide to do this you have my full support. it was dangerous for a law student because i could write local laws or study law and found the work. >> elected to the u.s. house of representatives. >> 1998. between that service of

local and federal government i did serve six years in the state assembly. >> the first time iran for the server -- senate? >> 2012. >> this is my first term the then senior senator after many years of exemplary service to the state of wisconsin announced his retirement. may 2011 and i cared up -- cleared up in it was an exciting race. c-span: go back to madison wisconsin. you were raised by you? >> my maternal grandparents. first of all, i am very lucky they were there when i needed them. the mother was 19 and was

lucky to have been there for me and my grandfather was a professor is my grandmother during my early years was on staff at the university as a costume designer at the university theater. my a grandfather was a biochemist so i would go from costume lab to biochemistry and looked at a fascinating look at each were doing. and i was so lucky to have them there my grandmother was 56 when i was born and then lifland to 94 years old

and she could vote for before congress. c-span: what is your relationship with your mother. issue alive?. >> guest: she is. 3 million years she was in and out after having me she was able to complete a university education then i was in madison and two-seater of the weekend by a custodial relations i could not imagine that in today's terms. but then in my adult years to have the employment opportunity in the twin cities area and that is where she is but is now retired. c-span: how do you describe wisconsin? >> it is three respects.

the hardest work ethic you'll find with an incredible group of people or descendants of immigrants in the state that makes and builds things that is very impressive and a strong agricultural tradition or those art is a nonsense of dash art isn't methods there's your regions and swiss across the state. i think about the natural resources. we are a state that is blessed with fresh water. we have three coast.

the east coast is like michigan the north coast is lake superior the west coast is the st. croix and mississippi river and in lint we have incredible natural resources that we cherish. and need to fight to protect in these times. but then i think about the history with the political theaters of great stature and that tradition in the abolishment of people in the up policy legacy for the mark that we made a national policy to draft the social security law that still stands to the day one of the greatest things we ever did. to economists from the

university of wisconsin who want to be part of the drafting process think of the education in the civil rights arena to think about those historic figures and i have to say how we lost some of that and it concerns me greatly. >> i read that wisconsin was responsible for the first state wide primary?. >> guest: for example, bob help touche shepard the change whereby a senators are not by the legislatures but demanded elections.

i don't know if it was the first but the party losses who made the decision of who the nominees were but rather the people who would be able to vote in free and fair elections. c-span: the back of the early 1900's this is bob and here is a minute. >> citizens men must be aggressive. for those who are aggressive that is for everyone. it is a glorious service.

the call comes to every citizen with the unending struggle to keep government representatives each one should have the patriotic duty into the life of the country to do his share in the of making america according to the planned. c-span: he was republican, a progressive 21 yes. he founded the progressive movement end up party. >> when did you first learn about that? >> i don't know when i didn't know about him as say high school in my home town was named after him. we have lots of ways to remember la follett but i do

know about him especially some interesting things when i became a member of the u.s. senate so i admired his political legacy but something very small that i learned there is a tradition in the senate to make a big deal about your first floor speech you are supposed to wait a few months before you do that many colleagues come and sit and listen which doesn't happen very often. we will use the study what the predecessors' talk about before i gave mine and i learned that la follett senior gave his speech on opposing a railroad

regulation bill because it did not go far enough and he is known for fighting the monopoly at the time. his maiden speech was three days. and he antagonized some of his colleagues by take such a long time he was not filibustering but to make his point the galleries are filled at that time. en to use those populist themes of today i promised my colleagues it would not take three days speesix depressive what does that mean? >> give us those major issues. >> i do think overlap of populism and progressivism

about restoring power and voice to the citizenry and how to check on unfettered power and unregulated power with the monopolistic entity. so la follett went after the roads, power plants, though once that it almost controlled washington and at the time madison which is the capital of wisconsin always arguing for a stronger voice for the people of the first primary but do the of bosses decide who they are or do they play

a role of deciding who the candidates will be? so i do see that as a mix of populism and progressivism. >> the other senator from wisconsin today is jobs and at one time the paper says you disagree with each other 75 percent of the time? how can one state have somebody that is a progressive but also a conservative and both be in the senate?. >> guest: we can also add to the mix our governor. then you can reflect that they have collected overtime my senior senator is a

product of the 2010 election . i think that was known as the teapartier revolution. it was a moment where perhaps the most significant achievement of the affordable care act recently passed those were struggling town hall meetings with the sky is falling. and was swept into office a significant number of people who had backed up what was common among them and was a national election. it was not played out with local or state issues that is the way that you can

explain how you can have those who are so strikingly different. but that said there are specific issues that we have worked on to have that partisan element and as a recent example last friday senator johnson and i both said on the homeland security committee had a joint field hearing in wisconsin, the opioid and heroin epidemic. we took testimony from a couple of panels of a wide range of perspectives, and we both acknowledge over and over it is the epidemic that

sees no partisan lines and we must work together to face this as a nation. >> backing in 2010 when ron johnson was running it was 2.1 million votes cast and in yours it was 2.eight so that is 700,000 votes different how much you factor? no presidential election does that worry you? >> that is also a gubernatorial election so that is interesting from the perspective that another candidate like scott walker teapartier revolution will also be standing for reelection and should he choose.

and there are reasons with unusually high numbers of non presidential election. in that exist in every state to be profound and the state of wisconsin. especially well we have been through as the state in recent years calling now special with funding for the university system and policies that are increasing the level of poverty in this town -- astounding and frightening way. there is a great interest them participation to fight for the soul of our state.

c-span: here is another wisconsin citizen that is very prominent in history, joseph mccarthy. >> to symbolize of the american political scene. >> put but to put it this way, of the suicidal foreign policy to fight direction -- correction and they have the approval of corruption and american interests. and they were voting for joe mccarthy.

>> they were appreciative of great deal. >> he died very young 49 what impact did he have gone you? did you know, much about him? >> he certainly had heard from so many dead carriers were threatened and lives from the witch hunt whether academics or other community leaders and there is agreement of the very dark time in the nation and politics but i do sit both in the mccarthy and the la follett seat and now i have the honor its.

but i have sat on the subcommittee that he cared where he abused his authorities and privileges in one of the views set to meet - - subcommittees' with subpoena power and he did use that i remember when it came to the senate and walking with a subcommittee chair at battlement as a private meeting between the two of us who with his gavel said i take this responsibility very seriously because i will never oversee that happening again it was a moving moment for me as a brand new senator. c-span: but there were

communist in the government. where do you draw the line? where does that matter and senator mccarthy but what would you do if communist for working in the state department? >> i can't imagine the time before i was born. the blackmail tactics were despicable, lives were ruined as they were in a widely cast net illegitimately. there were orderly and

better ways to deal with anybody that is not legally serving the country. >> how did you beat the governor for the use -- united states senate seat? >> at all like to think of it as that the other than making my case in 2012 that we needed to address, and we still need to address reviving the american dream. . .

it has really taken a hit because in my mind, the rules are it's a rigged and we need to fight for fairness, for economic justice, you know for a set of rules and a level playing field. c-span: both sides though say it's rigged. >> guest: the prescription is different. c-span: here's an ad that you ran during the 2012 campaign. c i'm tammy baldwin and i approved this message. >> tommy thompson left wisconsin from washington. boy, did he working for george

bush tommy cut a sweetheart deal with drug companies making it illegal for medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. the cost taxpayers $156 billion have been tommy made millions working for lobbying firm that represents drug companies. >> tommy thompson, he's not for you anymore. c-span: when did he make the decision to go after him on the basis of him being a lobbyist? >> guest: well it's the issue. medicaid should be able to bargain for better prices for america's seniors. the va and medicare which covers over 40 million americans doesn't. seniors need to shoulder these costs and it costs government a lot more money and it costs of medicare a lot more money. i was in the house of

representatives at the time that medicare part d, medicare modernization act as it was called and the part d program was debated and passed. i voted no and i felt very strongly that we should not be for bidding our government from creating huge savings. as you saw $156 billion, huge savings for the american people. tommy thompson the secretary at the time the bill advanced, and of my mind it is a good example of the system being raped to benefit the drug companies and not the people. c-span: why then when president obama had a chance to change this with obamacare that they

kept the inability of the government and medicare to negotiate for prices on drugs and this was a one-sided vote. why didn't they change it then? >> guest: they should have and we still should and we still have to fight for that. i was very involved in the crafting of that legislation on the house side sitting as they did on energy and commerce committee, and we had every intention of advancing a measure that would create opportunities for lower drug prices through bargaining and freestanding legislation i had also supported the right of citizens especially in northern states like wisconsin to purchase from canada. i remember a whole time when people were taking buses to the canadian border in order to fill

their prescriptions affordably. now that we are slowly closing the doughnut hole as it's called and i assume you know the doughnut hole is this gap in coverage that exists in the medicare part d program, i assume that was less frequent an occurrence that i suspect that it still does occur. but i absolutely wish we had a bill that required the government to bargain on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities for better drug rices. i also wish we had a public option. i was very involved in that debate. i think the affordable care act has led to the health care coverage for literally millions of americans, especially the

most vulnerable americans that were unable to secure that health coverage prior to the passage of the law. but it's not perfect. we have worked yet to do. c-span: here's an ad that was run against you in the 2012 campaign. >> dam right we are making a difference. >> tamim all blend is out of touch with wisconsin. she thinks obamacare didn't go far enough in putting government in control of our health care. medicare spending cuts and supports more taxes on middle-class families. bigger government in extreme politics, tammy baldwin is what is wrong with washington. c-span: and a magazine article in the milwaukee magazine back in 2014 there is a quote from somebody that was saying nice things about you and i think it was senator alpha rankin. i always told tammy you are the most serene number of this body.

i wasn't very serene. >> guest: that's right. you know that was, i can talk about that ad for quite some time. how many times he could fit that phrase in that clip into a 30-second ad was quite amazing and almost all the ads used it. it's interesting, this was the context for which i said it because i very seldom swear and al franken is right about that, at least publicly you know but i was emphasizing a point as you could tell that i feel very passionately about this progressive and populist point. this was a speech that i was giving during the time that our governor, scott walker, had stripped collective bargaining rights from our public sector workers and there were people who were marching and protesting

for weeks. there were quarter million people who came to our state ste capitol from all over the state who decried this move and somebody had come up to me, i had also joined the rallies when i was home from congress on weekends. i lived in madison and it was not too far away and i joined the marching. somebody came up to me as it was clear that they were losing this stage of the battle and the governor was going to sign this into law and said, tammy, as any of this made any difference? have we just wasted all of our time by marching and drawing attention to this injustice? that's when i responded you are dam right you are making a difference in people do have to

not the spectators when that policy decisions are being made. and i think that ad probably backfired as an attack ad more than any i have seen in modern history. people want a fighter and people want somebody who is going to go to washington and at some point calmly and serenely argued the case and at other times say this is wrong and we need to be fair and get this job done. c-span: when did you develop the views that you have? >> guest: throughout my life. c-span: i mean was there a teacher or a book, a grandparent or worse there a point or do you always room for thinking the way you do? >> guest: in terms of that

contrast between activist and more calm leader i think it was the real contrast between my grandparents and my time with my mother. i think it would be safe to have described my mother is a hippie on campus and as i told you she returned to school during my young years and that would have been during the antiwar movement, the civil rights movement and so i saw her participating in this big debate of the day as a student activist and i saw my grandparents who were very concerned, especially both of them being connected to the university with the quality of our educational system and the investment there and my grandfather was very focused on

scientific research as well as academic freedom issues. they were much more traditional in their approach to politics. they were probably more the letter writers but they did get themselves or they did become involved in those ways, writing letters to the editor, writing letters to their elected officials. i saw this incredible contrast and in my mother's case i saw a generation when i was still a child that was really acting to change the course of history with regard to women's rights and civil rights, the course of the war in vietnam and my grandparents also making an impact and i think perhaps i

became the best of each i hope. c-span: did you ever know your father? >> i didn't do it my parents were divorced when i was two months old and what i can tell you is for me just a heartwarming chapter of my life in my 20s, i remember my father's passing when his sisters and brother reached out to me to introduce themselves for the first time. they said if it takes her brother's death we are not going to let any more time passed without reaching out to you and getting to know you and they are some of a monk the dearest of my relatives to this day. i see them frequently. i didn't meet them until my mid-20s but there is a whole political strain that runs to the baldwin side of the family too.

c-span: anyone in politics? >> guest: very much so. i would consider all of them progressive. most of them had their youth in wisconsin also the eldest who were my father and his younger brother were born in indiana and then quickly they moved to wisconsin. everything they shared with family history as well as their own lives suggests you know that that's probably where i got it. c-span: i ran across an article in october 12 of 2015 and it starts off u.s. senator tammy baldwin added her voice to activists at the justice department opened an investigation into alleged 1954 black mouse game that led to the suicide of democratic senator lester hunt of wyoming and it's

all connected with history including the advise and consent. did you ever watch that? >> guest: i didn't. they came out also before i was born. c-span: what got you into this particular issue? this is recent au wanted the justice department to justice department to move on investigation? >> guest: i had a visit by some folks, an attorney as well as some folks who were really digging into the history of this tragic episode. i was a member of the senate and so i was intrigued by the story that is suicide of a senator in his office was never fully and just a gated, that there were implications as the history and evidence were shared with me,

the applications of blackmail oryx torsion, that there was again another thread of the story that the senator's son had been arrested for soliciting sex in a local park and there have been pressure on leaders who had first dismissed the charges to reinstate the charges and another thread that brought it back through senator mccarthy. and it was very intriguing. i had the whole presentation including reference to a recent documentary on this episode that revealed some of the documents that have been uncovered. it struck me as unbelievable that there wasn't a full investigation either by the senate or by the department of

justice at that time. c-span: this the suspect in the 1950s. >> guest: a was in the 50s. since then the son of the senator has also spoke about the described what his father told him about the chain of events prior to his suicide. c-span: let's catch up a little bit so people can see what the senator looked like he does with senator lester hunt of wyoming. he was a democrat. the governor was a republican and two republicans allegedly threatened him with exposing this story if he chose not to run for the senate which ended up not doing. he did not run for the senate but here's what it looks like and sounds like back in 1954. >> i think the people are perhaps not getting a little tired of dragging across the front pages of the papers the

names of those supposedly communists in our government who have been dead for several years most of them have gone through hearings of the american activities committee. i don't think communism is going to be much of an issue in the next election. i have been actively and public life for 22 years and to the best of my knowledge i have never --. c-span: the two senators that allegedly blackmailed him were from new hampshire and senator herman welker or republican from iowa. have you been able to find out any more about this? >> only what the attorney and the documentarian who put together a documentary on this chapter of american history. only what they were able to uncover and of course the statements made by senator hunt's son.

many many years after the original incident and his father's suicide. that said this clip and it introduces the whole political element as they questioned it. hans was a democrat who had been vocal in his opposition to mccarthy and his tactics. it was an election year where the balance of the senate was potentially going to be upset and if they could pressure the wyoming democrat to resign from office or retire and not seek re-election they would have an advantage they felt, especially if he were to resign from office.

they would have or republican governor in that state to appoint a successor. so that whole, that raises more questions. certainly we don't know exactly what happened. >> he decided not to run again but he did not resign from the senate so they leaked the information again. drew pearson at the time but i want you to see and anybody who wants to watch this documentary it's available for yahoo!. it was done by mike isikoff who used to be at nbc and now is that yahoo! and it's called uniquely nasty. and you can see the son of a senator in this clip. >> there were patrolling the area to arrest people. there is a purpose, to pick up. >> was standing thing in 1953 into lafayette park across the street from the white house. law enforcement i created something called the elimination

squad and they were waiting there that night. >> i got into a conversation with a guy there to whom i was attracted. >> were you? >> no i don't think i thought i was and it was an experiment that made it clear that he was available. i propositioned him and then he arrested me. c-span: at the time they were two undercover agents doing the same thing. so what you want the justice department to do in this case? what would close this loop? >> guest: well first of all these allegations of extortion, there are allegations that literally the senators senators hauled in the prosecutor from the district of columbia on numerous occasions to get him to

face charges which he ultimately did in this case. you know this all ended in a sitting senator killing himself. there were threats to circulate tens of thousands of pamphlets in wyoming where there were all made tens of thousands of people at the time to completely you know, go after somebody on issues totally extraneous to the service of his people and the country. how do we ever make sure that these tactics are never used again? i think that's why it needs to be uncovered and then with regard to using allegations come at using sexual orientation as a weapon, you know i think it

brings greater clarity to the type of things that were happening in the 40s and the 50s in the 60s and makes us understand why we need protections from discrimination, why we need are texans from hate crimes etc.. c-span: by the way the documentary is uniquely nasty comment was michael isikoff and if it -- it's on yahoo! if somebody wants to watch it. this is the last clip i think we are going to use. this is one that i will be interested in your reaction. this is you in action. ♪ ♪

♪ c-span: so, now that you are senator would you do that? >> guest: i would do my hair a little bit better than i had in that picture but the second came on my foot was tapping, so that was a really fun event and a good context for your viewers. this was at the finale of the gay pride parade in the madison area and the organizers had called ahead and said we want in a lighthearted manner give you are wonder woman award for your pioneering leadership. and you know you should definitely, we will give you our wonder woman recognition and we quickly welcome you to come on stage. i did. some things get captured on video. c-span: i was able to introduce introduce -- interview your

staff what would they tell me about you that you don't like? in other words the pet peeves of you as a senator, i will not do that or i won't get that kind of his speech? >> guest: i am not sure that there are that many roles. if there's things that i whine about its there aren't enough hours a in the day and i whine about that all the time. when i'm here in washington d.c. there are so many wonderful wisconsinites who come to visit, to talk about issues of great concern to them. and active on floor debates and there's never enough time in the day. c-span: what time does should we start? >> guest: it varies. i tried to get up a couple of hours before going to the office

but anywhere between and i would say 8:00 or 9:00 is average. when it ends as the bigger uncertainty. there often evening activities involved in this job. sometimes groups that are holding their conferences here and they want me to give evening speeches or drop by their events meeting with colleagues, you may note that the women in the senate have a regular dinner on a bipartisan basis to work on issues of common concern and to demonstrate a model of bipartisanship that doesn't necessarily exist in other circles and so sometimes the evening mike and around 7:00 and

other times nine or 10:00. c-span: what you think of raising money? >> guest: at this point a necessary evil but i never want to be in a situation where i am not fighting tooth and nail for various campaign reform. first of all i think that citizens united decision the supreme court announced in 2010 has had a horrible impact on our system. but frankly, and again this is another wisconsin connection, years ago we passed legislation called the mccain-feingold ill authored in good part by russ feingold. c-span: who was running against ron johnson. >> guest: you lost in 2010 after serving many years. he worked across the party i'll with john mccain to fashion

that legislation. the point i wanted to make was that not only does the supreme court decide the citizens united case but over the years since the passage of mccain-feingold that have been challenged in court and have been weekend and weekend and weekend. we have got to go back to the drawing board and citizens have got to feel that their vote matters, that their voice matters and whether they cannot spare a single cent to help a person running for office or whether they can write a big check. their concerns and their struggles will be listened to. and followed up on. c-span: we have about one minute left. you were valedictorian at her high school class. did you have to give a speech quest. >> guest: no, i wanted to give a speech. the academic rank wasn't connected with who got to give

speeches so this was actually a story i got to tell when i spoke at the commencement at my high school alma mater madison west high school just a couple of years ago. as the competition to see who could be class speaker and their work three class speakers every year. and i competed and given how much i do public speaking in my job may be remarkably and maybe not, i didn't get chosen and so i was just so sad that i didn't win that competition is one of my graduation speakers and i told the graduating class from madison west at their commencement a couple of years ago when i was asked to come back, i told them you know if at first you don't succeed try, try again because now i'm finally getting to speak at a west high school graduation. c-span: and that no senator tammy baldwin we thank you very

much for joining us. >> thank you. ♪ >> for free transcripts are to give us your comments about this program visit us at "q&a".org. q&a programs are available at c-span podcasts.

three years after supreme court ruling overturned part of the voting rights act, courts across the country of struck down a number of state laws saying they discriminate against specific groups of voters. saturday night, c-span's issue spotlight looks at voting rights and the impact on the 2016 election. >> you know all this voter i.d. nowadays, a lot of places are going to have voter i.d.. now what does that mean? do you just keep walking in and voting? >> what is happening is a sweeping effort to disempower and disenfranchise people of color, poor people and from one

end of our country to the other. >> watch issue spotlight on voting rights saturday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span and c-span.org. >> congress is in recess until september 6 with senators and house members spending time in their home states. while they are out of session we are bringing you booktv in prime-time here on c-span2. coming up, books about opal politics. we begin with david satter's look, "the less you know, the better you will sleep" russia's road to terror and dictatorship under yeltsin and putin. then the book politics in mexico. democratic consolidation or to kline.