CNN Newsroom: Interview with Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D-NE)
Interview
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Thanks for having me.
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Well first of all, starting tomorrow's week five of the filibuster, but, yes, they are trying to enable some new rule changes to restrict my ability to filibuster. I know the rules pretty well. And I know that I can continue to filibuster even if they change the rules. So, that's not going to deter me. The only thing that would deter me is to stop legislating hate in Nebraska and to put a permanent hold on these pieces of legislation that target trans youth.
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I'm doing this because first of all, I think it's the right thing to do, but I think it's important as legislators that we stand up for our most vulnerable populations. And there is a movement across this country to target trans youth and their very existence. And now is the time for everyone to stand up and say that this isn't right. That we, as legislators in Nebraska and across the country, we should not be legislating hate. We should be standing firm and supporting and giving hope to those children, not legislating against their very existence.
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I absolutely do not think this is the only thing we should be focused on. I don't think we should be focused on this at all. What I'm asking my colleagues to do is to say what they think we should be focused on. And so far, what they're telling me is that they think that this is more important than anything else in the legislature by continuing to move it forward, by continuing to make it happen. That's what they're focusing on.
I think that we should be focusing on economic recovery in the state and doing the most-good that we possibly can for those most impacted by what we're having -- seeing around the country economically. We have record high prices for everything. And we have an opportunity and the Nebraska legislature to do something about that. And my colleagues are choosing not to buy focusing on legislating hate.
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Well, I pushed back on that notion, because I don't think that it is a priority for GOP lawmakers. I think it is a priority for a loud minority. I think that there are so many individuals, my colleagues in the legislature who do not support this type of legislation, but we've seen a movement across this country attacking and targeting very specifically trans populations and even more specifically trans youth under the guise of protecting children.
I don't believe that this is a GOP issue. I believe that this is an issue of an outspoken minority that is attacking the trans population. And I think that both Republicans and Democrats have a responsibility to stand up and push back against this.
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Thank you.
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