At a news conference where he presented legislation to outlaw abortion after 15 weeks on Tuesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was approached by a mother who survived the Highland Park tragedy.
Ashbey Beasley, who claimed to have had an abortion at 16 weeks, later told reporters that while in the US Capitol, she “crashed” the media event to urge GOP Senators Pat Toomey and Mike Braun to support gun regulation.
Graham’s measure makes an exemption for rape and abortions beyond 15 weeks if the mother’s life is in danger. However, the rape victim must have sought out medical attention and therapy for the trauma at least 48 hours before having the abortion.
The South Carolina senator at one point attacked Democrats’ own plan intended to protect access to abortion, saying its loose legal framework puts the US on par with nations like Syria and Iran.
‘Democrats wanted a national standard, and their standard was basically abortion up to the time of birth – putting you in the Iran, Syria club,’ Graham said.
He also called Democrats’ proposal, which passed the House but would likely fail the Senate, ‘whacko.’
Graham’s abortion bill is Republicans’ first piece of legislation concerning the procedure since the Supreme Court repealed the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.
Flanked by pro-life activists, Senator Lindsey Graham unveiled new legislation that would ban abortion after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape and incest
Highland Park shooting survivor Ashbey Beasley ‘crashed’ Graham’s press conference to confront him on what would happen to women like her, who got an abortion after discovering a fatal fetal anomaly at 16 weeks
During his press conference he shrugged off concerns that the legislation could make Republican midterm candidates more vulnerable, given how much the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health energized the left’s base.
‘I don’t think this is going to hurt us,’ Graham said.
‘I think it’ll more likely hurt [Democrats] when they try to explain to some reasonable person why it’s ok to be more like Iran and less like France on abortion.’
He added that he not only welcomes voters having a ‘discussion’ on the topic but that he anticipated it.
Just as the event was wrapping up Beasley spoke up and demanded Graham tell her what her family was meant to do when she had an abortion at 16 weeks after finding out her baby had a fatal abnormality.
‘We were allowed to make that choice for him,’ Beasley said of her son’s abortion. ‘You would be robbing that choice from millions of women.’
Graham, visibly thrown off, replied: ‘The world has pretty much spoken on this issue…doctors say at this stage of the pregnancy the child feels pain, and we’re saying we’re going to join the rest of the world and not be like Iran.’
‘As to your particular case, there will be exceptions,’ he added.
The cornerstone of Graham’s argument is that most European countries have abortion limits more severe than the 15-week proposal
Beasley countered that she saw no exception ‘for a baby born with an anomaly.’
‘There are 55,000 abortions after the 15-week period and we are resolved to get America back in line with the rest of the world and we won’t know where America is until we vote, until we debate,’ Graham maintained.
‘And so to my Democratic friends, you’re going around calling us every name you can think of – “You’re a bunch of whackos.” Your idea is whacko, not ours. Let’s vote.’
The South Carolina senator expressed confidence that he would get Republican support on the bill, and even said he believes a ‘handful’ of Democrats would come on board.
But his bill has been blasted by Democrats all the way up to the White House.
‘This bill is wildly out of step with what Americans believe,’ Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Tuesday.
‘While President Biden and Vice President Harris are focused on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, health care, and energy – and to take unprecedented action to address climate change – Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions of women. The President and Vice President are fighting for progress, while Republicans are fighting to take us back.’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also released a statement hammering the bill at the outset of Graham’s press conference.
‘The nationwide abortion ban proposal put forth today is the latest, clearest signal of extreme MAGA Republicans’ intent to criminalize women’s health freedom in all 50 states and arrest doctors for providing basic care,’ the California Democrat said.
‘With Roe now out of their way, extreme MAGA Republicans are gleefully charging ahead with their deadly crusade to punish and control women’s health decisions.’