Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina’s proposed bill to outlaw abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy received harsh criticism from the White House on Tuesday.
Indicating that the party feels it can win from Graham’s campaign, which comes after Democrats have made some polling gains since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling invalidating Roe v. Wade, top Democrats in Congress joined the White House in attacking Graham.
The new legislation Graham unveiled at the Capitol was dubbed “radical” by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who then cited remarks made by the senator only weeks before in response to the court’s ruling.
The phrase I’m going to use is from Lindsey Graham on August 7, 2022. I’ve been consistent, he said. Both the question of marriage and the question of abortion, in my opinion, should be decided by the states.
At her daily briefing, Jean-Pierre added, “That’s from his own words, and now he wants to implement a countrywide ban.”
The senator’s plan would maintain the strictest state-level restrictions on abortion, which prohibit all procedures without any exceptions for rape, incest, or health reasons. Exactly what his measure would accomplish is that.
Additionally, it makes no allowances for women who may require access to abortions for medical reasons. What his bill does is that.
It is an extreme piece of legislation that is in keeping with Republicans’ extreme goals, which are out of step with the majority of Americans, according to what we can see from them.
While attending a celebration for the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer also criticised Graham.
What are the Republicans who support Donald Trump doing today at the Capitol? introducing laws outlawing abortion nationwide. Simply incredible,’ he said.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the minority leader who is attempting to organise a party takeover of the 50-50 Senate, did not greet Graham with much enthusiasm.
You’ll need to ask him about his bill if you have questions. I believe the majority of the members of my conference prefer that this be handled at the state level in terms of scheduling,’ McConnell added.
That was much the same view Graham expressed a few weeks before.
Graham responded to the issue on CNN after President Biden and Democrats suggested that homosexual marriage rights would be the next to be overturned based on a concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas.
Graham added, “I’ve been consistent—I believe states should resolve the question of marriage and the problem of abortion.”
In May, he also tweeted that if the Supreme Court reversed Roe, “every state would determine whether abortion is allowed and on what conditions.”
Graham’s proposal would enable conservative states to enact more stringent abortion restrictions.
However, it would take precedence over more pro-abortion states that tend to tilt Democratic.
When challenged to reconcile his prior claims, Graham snarled, “Pretty simple. I felt it would be great to present a measure to define who we are after they introduced the law to describe who they are.
He was alluding to the Democrats’ efforts to pass legislation codifying Roe v. Wade’s safeguards. As of right now, the plan cannot pass the 50-50 Senate, but Democrats are asking to pad their numbers by two to get enough support, provided they manage to overcome a filibuster.
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.
Graham said the Democrats wanted a national standard, and their standard was essentially abortion up to the moment of birth, which would have included you in the Iran and Syria clubs.
He also referred to the Democratic measure as “whacko,” which won the House but was expected to be defeated in the Senate.
Since the Supreme Court overturned the important 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, Republicans had not introduced any legislation pertaining to abortion until Graham’s measure.
He dismissed worries that the law may make Republican midterm candidates more vulnerable at his news conference, noting how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health ruling by the Supreme Court had enlivened the left’s base.
Graham stated, “I don’t believe this is going to affect us.”
“I believe it’ll harm [Democrats] more when they attempt to explain to any sensible person why it’s good to be more like Iran and less like France on abortion,” said the author.
He continued by saying that he not only welcomed, but also expected, people engaging in a “conversation” on the subject.
As the meeting came to a close, Beasley interrupted and demanded Graham explain what her family should have done when she aborted her kid at 16 weeks after learning that he had a catastrophic defect.
Beasley justified the abortion of her son by saying, “We were permitted to make that decision for him.” “You would be denying that option to millions of women,” she said.
Graham’s response, which was obviously off-balance, was: “The world has pretty much spoken on this issue…doctors say at this time of the pregnancy the kid feels pain, and we’re saying we’re going to join the rest of the world and not be like Iran.”
He said, “As to your specific circumstance, there will be exceptions.”
Graham said, “We won’t know where America is until we vote, until we discuss. There are 55,000 abortions beyond the 15-week period and we are committed to bring America back in step with the rest of the world.”
“You’re a bunch of whackos,” you say to us everywhere you go, “and so to my Democratic friends, your notion is whacko, not ours.” Now let’s vote.
The South Carolina senator claimed he was confident in getting Republican support for the legislation and even added that he thought a “handful” of Democrats would join him.
But Democrats have criticised his measure all the way up to the White House.
In a statement on Tuesday, Jean-Pierre said that “this law is completely out of line with what Americans think.”
Republicans in Congress are focused on restricting the rights of millions of women, whereas President Biden and Vice President Harris are focused on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to lower the cost of prescription drugs, health care, and energy – and to take unprecedented action to address climate change. Republicans are working to roll us back, while the President and Vice President are pushing for advancement.
At the start of Graham’s news conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a statement criticising the plan.
The California Democrat said that the national abortion ban idea was “the newest, clearest evidence of the radical MAGA Republicans’ determination to criminalise women’s health rights in all 50 states and imprison physicians for delivering essential care.”
Extreme MAGA Republicans are enthusiastically pressing on with their dangerous battle to punish and control women’s health choices now that Roe has been overturned.