Graham’s bill is a stricter version of a proposal he and other Republicans introduced last year that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Called the Protecting Unborn Children Who Can Cause Pain from Late Abortions Act, the new measure bans doctors from performing abortions five weeks earlier in a pregnancy, after 15 weeks. It includes exceptions for abortions necessary to save the life of the mother or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, and would leave untouched state laws that are more restrictive. Graham appeared alongside anti-abortion rights advocates to unveil the legislation on Capitol Hill, telling reporters his proposal would bring the United States in line with most European nations that impose abortion limits. “Abortion is not banned in America. It is up to the elected officials in America to determine the issue,” he said. “States have the ability to do that at the state level, and we have the ability in Washington to speak out on this issue if we choose to. I’ve chosen to speak out. I’ve chosen to create legislation that I think is eminently reasonable in the eyes of the people and I hope for the American people.” Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to commit to bringing the bill to the floor for a vote if Republicans win control of the Senate for the next Congress. “I think most of the members in my congress would prefer this to be dealt with at the state level,” he told reporters. Graham’s bill comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s blockbuster ruling in June clearing up the constitutional right to abortion. The ruling by the high court’s conservative majority left abortion policy in the hands of the states, and the ruling was applauded by anti-abortion rights advocates who have long said the power to regulate abortion rests with the American people through elected officials. of. Graham in June called the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe “a long overdue constitutional fix to allow state officials to decide matters of life.” But his new proposal would reach coast-to-coast, limiting abortions to states with greater access, such as New York and Pennsylvania, where laws allow abortions up to the 24th week of pregnancy. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back on the legislation introduced by Graham, calling it “unconventional to what the American people believe.” “As President Biden and Vice President Harris focus on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to lower prescription drug, health care and energy costs — and to take unprecedented action on climate change — the Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions of women,” she said in a statement. “The president and vice president are fighting for progress, while Republicans are fighting to take us back.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced Graham’s measure on the Senate floor as a “radical bill” and said the plan sends a “clear message from MAGA Republicans to women across the country: your body, the choice us”. “For the hard right, this has never been about states’ rights. It’s never been about letting Texas choose its own path while California follows another,” Schumer said. “No, for MAGA Republicans, that’s always been about making abortion illegal everywhere.” The bill, however, is unlikely to become law with Mr. Biden in the White House and the Democratic leaders of Congress, as it would require the support of 60 senators to advance in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans each hold 50 seats in the upper house, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote, and a national 15-week abortion ban will fall short of the support of 10 Democrats. In addition, two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, support abortion rights. Even if the proposal could clear the Senate, it would stall in the House, where Democrats hold a majority. Graham acknowledged that his bill is unlikely to come up for a vote with Democrats controlling both houses of Congress. The effort by GOP senators to limit access to abortion comes as the issue has emerged as a rallying point for voters in midterm races. A CBS News poll released last month found that 59 percent of likely voters said abortion is “very important” to their vote for Congress this year. A June poll by CBS News, conducted after the Supreme Court reversed its nearly 50-year-old Roe decision, found that 58 percent of voters favor a federal law legalizing abortion nationwide. Democrats are also pouring money into ads focused on abortion rights, spending about $30 million on more than 100 abortion-related TV ads since early May, according to tracking by AdImpact. Democratic candidates on the ballot in November quickly seized on Graham’s proposed ban, linking their GOP opponents to the legislation. A spokesman for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running against Dr. Mehmet Oz for a Senate seat, said voters there deserve to know whether Oz would support Graham’s bill if elected to the upper chamber. Similarly, a spokesman for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat who is defending her seat from a challenge from Republican Adam Laxalt, said Laxalt is an “automatic vote” for the federal abortion ban. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, said Graham’s legislation would motivate voters to support Democrats in the midterm elections. “The Republicans’ national abortion ban will be on the ballot in every Senate race,” he said in a statement. “The GOP has shown, once again, the threat they pose to a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions – and voters will make their voices heard by standing with Senate Democrats In November”.
The battle for abortion
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