Jeanne Shaheen: “I think, perhaps, I wasn't clear. I didn't talk about Dr. Gupta's position on reproductive rights for women. I talked…”

“I think, perhaps, I wasn't clear. I didn't talk about Dr. Gupta's position on reproductive rights for women. I talked about the role of the Office of Global Women's Issues. When I supported Kelley Currie, who was nominated by President Trump to be the head of the Office of Global Women's Issues, I didn't ask what her position was on choice; I asked her what she was going to do if she took that role. And she had an excellent history of working on issues that matter to women and foreign policy, and because that is not the Agency that is charged with women's reproductive health in our government, I didn't think that should be the basis on which I judged whether she was the appropriate person to take over that role. And, sadly, what seems to have happened is that because Dr. Gupta personally says she is pro-choice, all of the anti-choice organizations have made her nomination an issue. So I would ask my colleague: Have you sat down with Dr. Gupta? Have you asked her what she would do in her role if she is approved to be the head of Global Women's Issues and whether that was something that she was going to talk about or work on?”