Wendy Davis Holds 13-Hour Filibuster Against Texas Anti-Abortion Bill

Wendy Davis, a Democratic Texas state senator, led a 13-hour filibuster in a successful effort to block a controversial anti-abortion law on Tuesday.

Davis was encouraged to lead the charge by fellow Texas Democrats, who felt her storied past made her the perfect person for the task. The 50-year-old lawmaker held her first job at 14 to help out her single mother in supporting her three siblings. Davis had a husband and a child of her own to support by the age of 19. Fighting for her education, she began studying at a local community college before graduation from Texas Christian University, and later, Harvard Law School. Since entering public life, she's been a champion of women's rights.

"I'm rising on the floor today to humbly give voice to thousands of Texans who are being ignored," she said when her speech began on Tuesday. "These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the priority of our state."

Throughout her lengthy speech in the Senate gallery, Davis argued against the bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and make it difficult for many of the state’s clinics to remain open. In one of the more touching moments of the filibuster, Davis read the personal testimony of women who opposed the bill.

When her filibuster came to a close, Davis said, “My back hurts. I don't have a lot of words left," as supporting cheers erupted at the Texas Capitol building. "It shows the determination and spirit of Texas women," she added, according to CBS News.

It wasn’t until 2008 that Davis entered into public life. In a race that defied the odds, Davis defeated a longtime incumbent Republican for a Texas Senate seat. She’s previously fought public school funding cuts sponsored by Gov. Rick Perry another filibuster.

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