Wendy Davis: 'We are up for the fight' to defeat restrictive abortion bill

In an interview Sunday morning on ABC’s This Week, Texas State Senator Wendy Davis spoke about filibustering a bill which would make the state’s abortion regulations some of the strictest, saying she refused to believe it would eventually become law.

“I’m an eternal optimist,” Davis said. “I believe in the power of democracy and I’m going to fight with every fiber I have to keep it from passing.”

She also responded to criticism from Governor Rick Perry, who has called for a second special session to vote again on the bill. Late last week, Perry went so far as to say that Davis, a Harvard graduate, had not learned from her own experiences as a teenage mother.

“You know, what’s offensive to me is he’s made this very personal to Texans overall,” she said. “He’s awfully fond of talking the talk of small government, but this is big government intrusion and it’s very unfortunate and sad that people’s personal health and safety are at risk for his political purposes.”

Davis discussed her 11-plus hours of standing and speaking before the Texas legislature, including her footware choice, which has made waves across the internet.

Initially planning to wear dress shoes, the senator wore a pair of pink, size 7 Mizuno running shoes.

“At the last minute, I was running out of my apartment and I thought maybe I might need something with a little more support, so I grabbed these on the way out the door,” she said.

She said the reaction to her filibuster was unexpected.

“I never could have predicted the enthusiasm, the energy, the courage of the people in Texas who showed up at the capitol,” she said.

As to whether she will again attempt a filibuster, Davis said she was unsure if she would have the opportunity, but will continue her efforts to defeat the bill.

“We are up for the fight,” he said.

Watch the video below, courtesy of ABC News:

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