FRUEAUFF FOUNDATION.

Representative Jackie Speier: IT'S A CHALLENGE TO PICK YOURSELF UP, BUT YOU CAN, AND I TALKED ABOUT THE THREE Fs, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAITH, AND THOSE WERE THE THREE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE GOT ME THROUGH SO MUCH.

♪ >> Bonnie: HELLO, AND WELCOME TO "TO THE CONTRARY."

I'M BONNIE ERBE, AND TODAY I'M SPEAKING WITH WOMAN THOUGHT LEADER, CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE JACKIE SPEIER.

SO, CONGRESSWOMAN SPEIER, PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THE ME TOO ACT AND THE POLICY CHANGES YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THROUGH CONGRESS.

>> Jackie: SO THE "ME TOO" ACT IS GOING TO TRANSFORM HOW WE TREAT VICTIM SURVIVORS IN CONGRESS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ABYSMAL RECORD IN THE PAST WHERE VICTIMS WOULD APPEAL TO A PARTICULAR OFFICE, WOULD BE SUBJECT TO NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS, LONG PERIODS OF TIME MANDATORY MEDIATION AND THE HARASSER WAS OFTENTIMES CONGRESS AND THE VICTIM WAS REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL BY CONGRESS AND THE VICTIM WAS FENDING FOR HERSELF AND THEN EVERYTHING WAS KEPT QUIET AND THE HARASSER WOULD GO ABOUT HIS BUSINESS AND THE TAXPAYER WOULD PICK UP THE TAB.

>> Bonnie: THAT'S PRETTY HORRENDOUS.

>> Jackie: IT IS VERY HORRENDOUS.

SO BACK IN 2014 I TRIED TO MAKE THESE CHANGES AND GOT NOWHERE BUT THE "ME TOO" MOVEMENT KIND OF CHANGED EVERYTHING, AND SO I TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.

INTRODUCED THE "ME TOO" CONGRESS ACT, AND IN FOUR MONTHS WE WERE ABLE TO PASS REALLY TRANSFORMATIVE LEGISLATION THAT WILL NOW GIVE VICTIMS THE REPRESENTATION BY LEGAL COUNSEL ON THE TAXPAYERS' DIME, SO TO SPEAK, PAID FOR BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE HARASSER NOW WILL BE IDENTIFIED, THE SETTLEMENT WILL BE PAID FOR OUT OF THE US TREASURY, BUT THE HARASSER WILL HAVE TO PAY IT BACK EITHER IN ONE LUMP SUM OR THEY WILL HAVE THEIR WAGES GARNISHED, THEIR THRIFT SAVINGS PLANS GARNISHED AND, IF NECESSARY, THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY GARNISHED, SO WE MEAN BUSINESS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BEING RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE, AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT I THINK A MUCH SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR WHICH WOMEN CAN WORK.

BUT THEN WE GOT TO GO BEYOND THAT.

DO YOUITE THINK IT'S GOING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR?

>> I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION BECAUSE IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT, WE ARE NOW REQUIRING MANDATORY SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING FOR MEMBERS AND STAFF, AND THAT WILL BE -- >> WOMEN TOO?

>> YES, MEMBERS AND STAFF.

SO IT'S NOT AS IF WOMEN CAN'T BE HARASSESSERS.

THEY HAVE AND THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THAT HAS HAPPENED AS WELL.

BUT THE MEMBER WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

BUT THEN WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT ALL OF FEDERAL SERVICE, AND I'VE MET WITH STAFF MEMBERS IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY TOLD ME HORRIFIC STORIES ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE.

SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, AND THEN BEYOND THAT WORKERS IN SETTINGS LIKE HOTELS WHERE 50% OF THE HOTEL MAIDS ARE FLASHED AND 50 OR 60 PERCENT, I SHOULD SAY, OF HOTEL WORKERS ARE SEXUAL I HARASSED, WHERE YOU HAVE -- AND WAITRESSES IN DINERS.

>> AND WAITRESSES AND AND FLIGHT TAPPED ANTS, 70 PERCENT OF FLIGHT ATTEND ANSWERED ARE SEXUALLY HARDS SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN MANY INDUSTRIES >> Bonnie: HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE OR WILL IT HAPPEN?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN GET SOMETHING FEDERAL ON THE SAME LEVEL AS WHAT YOU HAVE YOU KNOW TO CONTROL BEHAVIOR ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST IN THE GOVERNMENT.

>> WELL, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT, BUT BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN WASTE THIS MOMENT, AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A MOMENT.

I WANT IT TO BE TRANSFORMATIVE.

I WANT TO US LOOK AT THIS AS THE PIVOT WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED IN THE WORKPLACE AND WHERE SAFETY OF WOMEN AND MEN BECAME A HIGH PRIORITY.

THIS MOMENT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE "ME TOO" MOVEMENT.

>> RIGHT.

>> CAN IT BE SUSTAINED?

>> I THINK IT CAN, IF WE WILL IT TO HAPPEN.

WE HAVE NOT GOT TO WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

WE CAN'T LET IT DRIFT AWAY.

AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE AT NO GOING BACK.

>> WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH TECHNOLOGY?

TELL ME THE TWO -- TO KEEP THAT FERVOR ALIVE, TO KEEP THE MOVEMENT ALIVE?

>> WELL, IN PART WE'RE DOING IT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.

IT IS A VERY POWERFUL TOOL TO USE, BUT JUST KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUNG WOMEN AROUND THE COUNTRY TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED, IS THERE ANYTHING GOING ON WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, ANY SPECIAL --.

>> WELL, THERE'S -- >> TACTICS YOU CAN TALK ABOUT?

>> THERE'S A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AROUND "FEE TOO" AND THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER HAS CREATED A TIME'S UP PROGRAM WHERE THEY'RE NOW GOING TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEM WHO HAVE COME FORWARD SEEKING THEIR LEGAL SUPPORT.

>> DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A DAY WHEN THE WAITRESS IN A DINER IN LOUISIANA WHO'S BEING PAID LEGALLY $2.17 AN HOUR MINIMUM WAGE, BEYONCE WAS PROVIDE BY ONE OF THE NEWSPAPERS DOWN THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO PUT UP WITH MEN, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OFFING HER, SLAPPING HER BEHIND, TOUCHING HER IN INAPPROPRIATE WAYS, DO YOU THINK THAT THAT KIND OF ABUSE WILL GET THE COVERAGE THAT THE BIG-NAME ABUSE GETS?

>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT HOLLYWOOD IS VERY FOCUSED NOT JUST ON HOLLYWOOD BUT ABOUT THE LOW-WAGE WORKER.

AND I HAD A CONVERSATION JUST RECENTLY WITH JANE FONDA, WHO WANTS TO COME BACK HERE AND HELP MAKE THAT MESSAGE VERY CLEAR.

AND FOR THAT TIP WORKER IN LOUISIANA, WE'VE GOT TO GET RID - OF A SUB-MINIMUM WAGE FOR WAITRESSES BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM TO HAVE PUT UP WITH A LOT BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT AFFECTS THEIR INCOME.

>> ALL RIGHT.

NOW I WANT TO SWITCH, AND YOU'RE VERY RIGHT ABOUT THAT, OBVIOUSLY, I WANT TO SWITCH TOPICS COMPLETELY AND GO TO THE RUSSIAN COLLUSION.

YOU'RE ON A HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.

YOUR REPORT AND THE SENATE'S REPORT WERE VERY DIFFERENT.

TELL ME -- SOUTH FLORIDIAN THAT, PLEASE, AND WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS ARE.

>> SO THE HOUSE MAJORITY REPORT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REPORT.

THE HOUSE MINORITY REPORT, OF WHICH I AM A SOMEBODY VERY CONSISTENT WITH THE SENATE REPORT.

SO ON THE SENATE SIDE YOU DID NOT HAVE PARTY POLITICS PLAYING A ROLE.

DID NOT HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES PULLING STRINGS AS HE DID, I BELIEVE, ON THE HOUSE SIDE.

AND SO THEIR REPORT IS MORE OF A REFLECTION OF WHAT THE HOUSE MINORITY REPORT IS, WHICH WAS TO SAY, ONE, RUSSIA DID ENGAGE IN INTERVENING IN OUR ELECTIONS IN MANY, MANY WAYS, AND VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING DONALD TRUMP ELECTED PRESIDENT.

NOW, THEY ARE SILENT ON THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS ACO CONSPIRATOR WITH THE PUENTE OPERATIVES IN TERMS OF THE ELECTION, AND THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT BOB MUELLER, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL, WILL PROVIDE US THE EVIDENCE OR NOT AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

>> DO YOU THINK FUTURE ELECTIONS, NOVEMBER, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THE RUSSIANS GOING TO INTERFERE THE SAME WAY THEY DID IN 2016?

>> I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY WILL INTERFERE AS SIGNIFICANTLY IN 2018 BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S MID-TERM, IT'S STATE ELECTIONS FOR THE MOST PART, BUT WE ARE GUARANTEED THAT THEY WILL BE VERY INVOLVED IN THE 2020 ELECTION, AND IN PART IT'S OUR FAULT BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ELECTION SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR TAMPERING, FRANKLY, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE KINDS OF SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE IN OUR VOTING MACHINES, IN OUR SOFTWARE THAT CAN PROTECT AGAINST THE RUSSIANS OR ANYONE ELSE HACKING INTO OUR SYSTEMS.

SO.

>> SO HOW DO WE GET THOSE PROTECTIONS?

>> WELL, THAT'S PART OF WHAT I THINK OUR COMMITTEE SHOULD BE DOING.

WE SHOULD BE SPENDING TIME EVALUATING THE ELECTION MACHINES.

THERE'S ABOUT FOUR ELECTION COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEY PROVIDE IS ELECTION MACHINES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

THEY REQUIRE LOCAL CITIES AND COUNTIES AND STATES TO SIGN CONTRACTS THAT SAY "YOU WILL NOT RED TEAM THIS COMPUTER."

NOW, THAT MEANS YOU WON'T ATTEMPT TO TEST IT TO MAKE SURE IT IS FAIL SAFE.

WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT, OF COURSE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT CAN BE BROKEN INTO BECAUSE THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO IT.

>> DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK VOTES WERE SWITCHED?

>> I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE WERE SWITCHED, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I DO KNOW.

THERE'S A HACK CONFERENCE, HACKERS CONFERENCE THAT TAKES PLACE.

I TALKED TO ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS THAT CONFERENCE.

THEY BOUGHT TEN MACHINES FOR THAT CONFERENCE AND THEN HAD ALL THE HACKERS THAT CAME LOOK INTO THEM AND TRY TO HACK IN THEM.

THE FIRST MACHINE WAS HACKED IN BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS FINISHED, AND ALL TEN MACHINES WERE HACKED INTO BEFORE THE END.

AND I SAID TO THIS HACKER EXTRAORDINAIRE, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE MACHINES WERE TAMPERED WITH.

AND HIS COMMENT TO ME WAS THERE'S NO WAY THEY WOULD KNOW THAT.

BECAUSE IF YOU HACK INTO THESE ELECTION MACHINES, YOU DON'T LEAVE FINGERPRINTS.

AND UNLESS WE CREATE SYSTEMS THAT ARE FAIL SAFE, THEY'VE FINGERPRINTS, WE WILL NEVER KNOW.

>> WHAT'S BEING DONE TO COMPEL THE COMPANIES TO ALLOW FOR SECURITY SOFTWARE TO BE ADD TO THE MACHINES OR TO ALLOW COUNTIES AND STATES TO TEST THEIR MACHINES?

>> WELL, IN THE NEAR TERM, NOTHING.

AND WHAT I AM RECOMMENDING IS THAT TO PROTECT FEDERAL ELECTIONS, BECAUSE WE CANNOT TELL STATES WHAT TO DO FOR THEIR STATE ELECTIONS OR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, BUT FOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS, SO CONGRESSIONAL RACES AND PRESIDENTIAL RACES, AND TO REQUIRE THAT THEY BE ALL PAPER BALLOTS, THAT THEY BE SCANNED, AND THAT THEY BE AUDITED.

THAT IS THE ONLY WAY AND SAY IF YOU CAN BE PROTECTED AT THIS POINT.

AND SO IS THERE ANY MOVE TO GO BACK TO PAPER?

>> WELL, IN SOME JURISDICTIONS THERE ARE.

IN SOME THERE ARE NOT.

WE JUST HAVEN'T PLACED THE FOCUS ON IT THAT WE SHOULD BE.

>> WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

WE'RE TOO DISTRACTED BY OTHER THINGS?

>> WE'RE DISTRACTED BY THE WHITE HOUSE AND WHAT GOES ON THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

>> INTERESTING.

SO ONE PIECE OF GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF WOMEN RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.

ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH ANY OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE TRAINING THEM OR HAVE YOU MET THESE WOMEN?

ARE YOU FUNDRAISING FOR THEM?

WHAT'S YOUR INVOLVEMENT?

>> ALL OF THE ABOVE.

THERE ARE OVER 400 WOMEN RUNNING OR CONGRESS IN THIS CYCLE.

IT'S A REALLY REMARKABLE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

AND WE HAVE MANY WOMEN RUNNING IN THE SAME RACE, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT CONFOUNDING, I'D SAY, BECAUSE FOR INSTANCE, IN CALIFORNIA WE HAVE A JUNGLE PRIMARY, SO IT'S A TOP TWO VOTE-GERRITTS, SO CONCEIVABLY THESE WOMEN COULD SPLIT THE VOTE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, NO ONE WOULD BE SELECTED.

BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT PARTICULAR HICCUP, THEY'RE INCREDIBLY TALENTED AND VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL IN HOW THEY'RE RUNNING THEIR CAMPAIGNS.

THEY'RE RAISING A LOT OF MONEY.

I'M HELPING THEM RAISE MONEY IN MANY OF THESE SITUATIONS, BUT THEY'RE DOING A LOT ON THEIR OWN AS WELL.

SO I'M GOING TO MY NECK OUT A LITTLE BIT AND SAY RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 19% IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NUMBER OF WOMEN SERVING.

I THINK WE WILL GET TO 25% THIS CYCLE.

>> OH, MY.

>> I REALLY THINK THERE'S A POSSIBILITY.

>> SO YOU THINK -- WILL THAT ENABLE THE DEMOCRATS TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE?

>> IT'S POSSIBLE.

NOT ALL THESE WOMEN ARE RUNNING JUST IN DEMOCRATIC SEATS.

SOME OF THEM ARE RUNNING IN REPUBLICAN SEATS, OF COURSE.

AND THERE ARE SOME GREAT MEN RUNNING IN SEATS AS WELL.

AND SO WE'LL SEE.

I MEAN, I THINK THE JURY IS STILL OUT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE DEMOCRATS WILL RETAKE THE HOUSE.

THERE'S THIS BLUE WAVE IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S A LITTLE GIDDY ABOUT BUT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY'RE HATCHED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A 12 POINT LEAD AT ONE POINT A FEW MONTHS AGO.

IT'S NOW DOWN TO THREE POINTS.

SO I THINK THAT WE STILL HAVE A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF US.

>> AND WHAT ABOUT -- HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW YOUR FELLOW HOUSE MEMBERS AND THE MEDIA TREAT MAJORITY -- MINORITY LEADER PELOSI?

SHE'S A FELLOW CALIFORNIAN, YOUR DISTRICTS MUST BE NEAR EACH OTHER BECAUSE YOU BOTH HAVE PIECES OF SAN FRANCISCO.

IS IT SEXISM?

IS IT AGEISM?

THE TALK THAT CROPS UP OCCASIONAL ABOUT SHE SHOULD STEP DOWN AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE ABOUT THE NEW DEMOCRATIC LEADER?

>> I THINK IT'S A LOT OF THINGS.

I THINK IT'S PENT-UP AMBITION BY YOUNGER MEMBERS.

I THINK THERE IS ABOUT -- I THINK THERE IS SOME AGEISM.

I DON'T KNOW CAN HOLD A CANDLE TO HER IN TERMS OF HER FUNDRAISING PROWESS.

AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S 78 YEARS OLD, BUT YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT.

SHE WALKS FASTER THAN I DO.

SHE IS FACILE ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ISSUE IN TERMS OF HER ABILITY TO SPEAK ON IT AND TO UNDERSTAND IT.

SHE'S POLITICALLY SALVE AS SAVVY AS THEY COME.

AND SHEKNOWS HOW THE COUNT VOTES, AND YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SAY THAT ABOUT OUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE SERVED AS SPEAKER.

>> INTERESTING.

AND BACK -- SO THIS NOVEMBER YOU SAID WOMEN -- THAT 25 -- THAT THEY WILL RAISE THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALES IN THE HOUSE TO 25%.

WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY SHOULD THEY BE USING SHOULD?

SHOULD THEY MODERATE SOMEWHAT?

SHOULD THEY GO TO THE LEFT?

I KNOW, AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO VARY DISTRICT BY DISTRICT, BUT WHEN YOU MEET WITH THEM, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD -- SHOULD THEY STICK TO WHATEVER PLATFORMS THEY'VE ALREADY PUT OUT THERE FOR WHAT THEY STAND FOR?

>> I THINK A THEN TIS CITI REALLY THE KEY.

ER D. AUTHENTICITY ARE REALLY THE KEY.

VOTERS ARE VERY SMART AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AUTHENTICITY.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN'T BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY SPECIAL INTERESTS.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL FIGHT FOR THEM.

WOMEN HISTORICAL HAVE DONE WELL WHEN THERE HAS BEEN SCANDAL BECAUSE THEY'RE SEEN AS BEING LESS SCANDAL DRIVEN OR SUSCEPTIBLE.

>> LESS CRIMINAL IN NATURE.

>> HAVING SAID THAT, YOU CAN POINT TO WOMEN WHO, YOU KNOW, DON'T FIT INTO THAT CLEAN JEANS PATTERN.

BUT NONETHELESS, I DO THINK GENERALLY WOMEN ARE SEEN AS BEING INTERESTED IN DOING THE POLICY OF MOVING PUBLIC POLICY FORWARD.

, LESS INTERESTED IN THE POLITICAL GAME.

>> IS IT TRUE, WHEN YOU MEET UP HERE WITH EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN WOMEN, DO YOU HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THEM THAN YOU DO WITH THE MEN, THE MEN WHO HAVE THE SAME POLITICAL VIEWS?

>> YES AND NO.

IT DEPEND ON THE ISSUE.

>> WHICH ISSUES DO YOU HAVE IT WITH?

AND WHICH NOT?

>> WELL, I'D TO HAVE THINK -- I THINK I HAVE TO GO I NEED BY ISSUE.

FOR INSTANCE, THE "ME TOO" CONFIRMING ACT.

ARE WORKED WITH REPUBLICAN WOMEN.

I ALSO WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH A VERY CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN FROM ALABAMA, BRADLEY BYRNE, WHO BECAME MY PARTNER IN THAT LEGISLATION BECAUSE AS AN EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY, HE'S REPRESENTED SO MANY COMPANIES OVER THE YEARS AND HE KNOWS WHAT THE LAWS ARE AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AND HOW CONGRESS SHOULD BE COMPLYING WITH THEM.

SO IT JUST VARIES ISSUE TO ISSUE.

>> NOW WE'RE ALSO COMING UP ON AN ANNIVERSARY, 40th ANNIVERSARY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY, WOW, SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, OF THE JONESTOWN MASSACRE, AND YOU WERE THERE.

YOU WERE NOT ONLY THERE, YOU WERE SHOT FIVE TIMES.

YOU WERE LEFT FOR DEAD.

AND YOU'RE WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THAT AND OTHER THINGS IN YOUR LIFE.

WHAT -- WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IN THE BOOK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND HOW IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

>> WELL, I DO THINK THAT -- THAT WE'RE EACH CHALLENGED IN LIFE, AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD IS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PICK YOURSELF UP.

THE BOOK'S ENTITLED "UNDAUNTED."

AND I GO THROUGH A WHOLE SERIES OF EVENTS IN MY LIFE.

I WAS ALSO, 14 YEARS AFTER GUYANA, PREGNANT WITH OUR SECOND CHILD AND MY HUSBAND WAS KILLED IN AN ABLE ACCIDENT, AND I THOUGHT AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT EVERYBODY JUST GOT THEIR FAIR SHARE OF GRIEF, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

I MEAN, YOU ARE DEALT THE HAND THAT YOU'RE DEALT, AND IT'S A CHALLENGE TO PICK YOURSELF UP, BUT YOU CAN.

AND I TALK ABOUT THE THREE Fs, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAITH.

AND THOSE WERE THE THREE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE GOT ME THROUGH SO MUCH IN MY LIFE.

>> HOW DID YOU RECOVER FROM BEING SHOT FIVE TIMES?

>> WELL, I WAS HOSPITAL I'D FOR OVER TWO MONTHS.

I HAD MORE THAN TEN SURGERIES.

I HAD GAS GANGRENE THROUGH MY BODY BECAUSE I HAD BEEN ON THAT AIR STRIP FOR 22 HOURS WITHOUT ANY MEDICAL ATTENTION.

SO THEY ALMOST AT ONE POINT THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO AMPUTATE MY ARM AND MY LEG, BUT THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING RID OF THE GAS GANGRENE, AND THEN IT WAS A MATTER OF PUTTING MY BODY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.

SO I WENT THROUGH A P. YEARS AFTER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND WORRIED THAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CONCEIVE A CHILD BECAUSE I STILL CARRY TWO BULLETS, AND ONE WAS IN THE PELVIS.

BUT LO AND BEHOLD, I DID SUCCEED, AND I NOW HAVE TWO ADULT CHILDREN WHOM I'M VERY PROUD OF.

>> THAT'S WONDERFUL.

AND IT CERTAINLY GOES WITH THE TITLE OF "UNDAUNTED."

HOW IS THAT AND THAT HAND YOU EXPERIENCE YOU WENT THROUGH FORMED YOUR VISION FOR WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH GUN VIOLENCE?

>> I DON'T THINK THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE ENDURED GUN VIOLENCE YOU HAVE MARYLAND ANY IDEA OF HOW DEVASTATING IT IS PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN LAS VEGAS 57 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, 500 PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED.

AND WHEN YOU THINK OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS, THE NUMBER WHO DIE SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE NUMBER WHO ARE WOUNDED ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE WITH THE NUMBER THAT ARE KILLED.

SO IT'S WITH YOU THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

IT CERTAINLY INFORMED MY BELIEF THAT, FOR INSTANCE, ASSAULT WHAT HAPPENS.

ONE OF THE WEAPONS THAT I WAS SHOT WITH, AND I WAS SHOT BY TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUNS, WAS A SEMI-AUTOMATIC.

IT RIPS THROUGH YOUR BODY.

IT'S A -- IT'S A WEAPON OF WAR, AND THAT'S WHEN IT SHOULD BE USED.

THE FACT THAT YOU CAN TAKE A GUN AND ADD A BUMP STOCK AND TURN IT INTO A WEAPON OF WAR IS DISGUSTING, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE GUTS IN THIS COUNTRY TO SAY NO TO ASSAULT WEAPONS AND BUMP STOCK AND HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES BECAUSE IT HAS NO PLACE IN A SOCIETY WHERE WE VALUE LIFE.

>> BUT IS THIS CONGRESS GOING TO LISTEN TO THAT MESSAGE?

ARE THEY TOO BEHOLDEN TO THE NRA?

>> THE NRA HAS PARALYZED GOOD PEOPLE FROM DOING WHAT IS RIGHT IN THIS CONGRESS.

>> AND DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS WILL EVER BE ABLE TO LOOSEN ITS GRIP?

I MEAN, NOW YOU HAVE THE FLORIDA KIDS LEADING A MOVEMENT.

>> I HAVE A GREAT -- I HAVE GREAT HOPE THAT AND CONFIDENCE, ACTUALLY, THAT WHEN THE MILLENNIALS TAKE OVER CONGRESS, A LOT OF THESE LITMUS TEST ISSUES THAT PLAGUE US TODAY THAT PREVENT US FROM MOVING FORWARD ARE GOING TO BE -- ARE GOING TO BE DEALT WITH IN SWIFT ORDER, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT ISSUES LIKE DACA AND IMMIGRATION AND GUNS AND LGBT ISSUES.

ALL OF THOSE ISSUES ARE ONES THE MILLENNIALS LOOK AT AND SAY, WHAT ARE YOU -- WHAT ARE YOU -- WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE?

SO -- >> DO YOU THINK THEY WILL ALL BE DEALT WITH IN THE WAY DEMOCRATS WOULD BE PLEASED WITH OR ARE DEMOCRATS GOING TO TAKE HITS IN PUBLIC POLICY TERMS?

I MEAN, WHEN MILLENNIALS DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES.

>> I THINK MILLENNIALS.

DON'T LOOK AT THINGS AS BEING DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN.

THEY LOOK AT ISSUES FROM A SOCIETAL STANDPOINT.

I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THIS CONGRESS TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW GENERATION OF THOUGHT LEADERS WHO RECOGNIZE THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED, AND WE SHOULD BE CHANGING WITH THE TIMES, AND IF YOU'RE NOT CHANGING WITH THE TIMES, THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS WHITE BUILDING AND SAY SAYONARA.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIME, WHICH HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY ENLIGHTENING, AND WE'LL ALL BE WAITING FOR YOUR BOOK TO COME OUT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANKS FOR WATCHING.

PLEASE FOLLOW ON US SOCIAL MEDIA AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBS.ORG.

AND WHETHER YOU AGREE OR THINK TO THE CONTRARY, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

♪ ♪ ♪ FOR A TRANSCRIPT OR TO SEE AN ONLINE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE OF "TO THE CONTRARY" PLEASE VISIT OUR PBS WEBSITE AT PBS.ORG/TOTHECONTRARY.