Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has introduced legislation that, if signed into law, would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks.
The proposal, while moderate compared to efforts by some Republican state legislatures, is the most prominent effort by the GOP to restrict abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
The Washington Post reports:
“I think we should havea law at the federal level that would say, after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother,” Graham said at a news conference. “And that should be where America is at.”
Graham's measure, which stands almost no chance of advancing while Democrats hold the majority in Congress, comes just weeks after he and most Republicans had defended the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe by arguing that allowing states to decide on abortion rights would be the most “constitutionally sound” way of handling the issue.
On Tuesday, Graham vowed that, if Republicans took back the House and Senate in the midterm elections, there would be a vote on his 15-week abortion bill.
“Abortion is a contentious issue,” Graham said. “Abortion is not banned in America. It is left up to elected officials in America to define the issue … States have the ability to do [so] at the state level and we have the ability in Washington to speak on this issueif we choose. I have chosen to speak.”
So, what do you think? Is Graham's proposal, which is in line with France and Germany's restrictions smart politics, or does it needlessly motivate radical Democrats ahead of this year's crucial midterms? As always, tell us below!
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Is he trying to lose the midterm elections? Why bring this up now?
Seems like he’s as bad as Trump, neither one of them knows when to keep their mouth shut. They may well turn out to be the GOP’s worse enemy in the quest to win the majority in the house and senate. Right now they’re lucky that senile Joe doesn’t know when to shut up too. He’s the republican’s best weapon.
l totally agree! My first thought was TERRIBLE TIMING! Hope it wasn’t deliberate!
I know, right? The smart Republicans are downplaying abortion rights while planning, once they have control of the House and Senate and White House again, THEN enact a nationwide abortion ban from conception with no exceptions of any kind!
He may very well be trying to sabatage the midterms. Democrats would love this.
Abortion is an issue NOW. People want to know where the elected officials and the candidates stand on this issue. The people have the right to know how their legislators would vote on this issue since it is of prime importance to some. Waiting until after the election to state one’s opinion is deceptive. How would you feel if the candidates refused to discuss inflation, the border crisis, climate change, or other important matters until after the election?
Exactly! That’s what I’ve been saying. He is definitely motivating radical Democratics which could easily cause us to lose the midterms.
Sorry, Sen. Graham, but the SCOTUS got it right this time. Abortion should be a state-level matter handled by the voters of each state. Keep the Federal government out of the bedroom, the kitchen, the hospital, the p!aces of worship and everywhere else they keep sticking their noses into. They should be limited to protecting our shores (Yes, Kamala and Joe, that includes the Southern border), delivering the mail (they STILL can’t seem to get that one figured out) and staying out of most other parts of my life. The Constitution doesn’t mention anything about abortion, nor a myriad other issues, and most of those issues shouldn’t be added to the Constitution. Leave well enough alone, please.
You’re wrong. Dobbs decision said that the people’s “elected representatives” should decide whether abortion should be banned or permitted. It did not say only the STATE representatives. So if the GOP can ban abortion nationally it is entirely in line with Dobbs. Dobbs decided that Americans have no rights but what are explicitly stated in the Constitution or that our ancestors had in the 16th Century or that modern legislative bodies deign for us to have.
Dobbs did not say that Americans have no rights except those explicitly stated in the Constitution. The decision had nothing to do with the rights of citizens.
This decision stated that SCOTUS overstepped their bounds years ago and created a new law that had not been passed by Congress or any state legislature. No “Right to Privacy” exists in the Constitution or any of the amendments. The Justices invented that because they wanted to use Roe vs Wade to legalize abortion – which Congress had tried to do, but failed with insufficient votes. But SCOTUS must follow the Constitution, not make decisions based on what the Justices WANT.
Whether one supports or opposes abortion, this was the correct decision. SCOTUS has the duty to correct errors in past judgments if they are brought to the Court anew. The decision also did not ban abortion. It left that decision to the states, where it rightly belongs. The Constitution states that powers not explicitly granted to the federal government belong to the States or to the people. Therefore, each state is free to pass their own laws regarding abortions. Liberal states may allow abortions at any time for any reason if they so choose. Likewise, more conservative states may restrict abortions as they see fit.
Communism at full swing under Merrick yet don’t touch the corrupt bidens, their pay to play federal violations their 150 plus kickback cks, from Chinese communist to the biden crime family, turn a blind eye now, because after the midterms comes the special prosecutor office.
Dumb. Doesn’t he realize that this is NOT a federal issue? The only way to enact something nationwide is with a Constitutional amendment. No law will pass SCOTUS.
I agree with his suggested legislation, but it can certainly wait a few months until after the midterms before poking the bear. Same should have happened at the SCOTUS and abortion legislation at the state level.
EXACTLY! If you want to kill a bear, don’t poke it and show it what you’re going to do. Sneak up behind it while it’s sleeping and then bash it over the head with a baseball bat! THAT is how democracy is supposed to work!
It would be best to leave it up to the individual states. No need to damage GOP chances of gaining back House and Senate. Supreme Court took it out of federal hands and that should stay that way.
I would not support this proposal. Sen. Graham’s idea is flawed in several ways but the one that concerns me most is the idea that, as country, we would be saying that America is approving of abortion. What the rest of the world does should not be a guideline for our values.
A stupid move just before the midterms what is he thinking or is he thinking
snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. . .old lindsey only knows how to be a big man as a second fiddle. . .the #1 job terrifies him. . .
Every election year. Abortion, Abortion. Always made into a central issue. Why can’t you idiots leave it at the state level. SIMPLE. When the federal govt. gets involved there’s MONEY! Lots of MONEY! They can’t seem to stuff it all in their pockets quick enough. This is America today.
If Graham is for it, it cannot be good for Republicans in November. The man is a traitor to all things conservative…he really is a damn RINO. First he said it was good for the states to decide now it should be a federal mandate. What a flip-flopping hypocrite!
WHAT A WONDERFUL GIFT TO THE DEMOCRATS! And no exception for serious fetal anomalies or even simply threats to a woman’s health – she has to try to die! WOW! And ftuses without heads will have to be carried to term too. Nice one, Senator Graham! If The Dems stay in control and taxes double and triple and we all have to obey Xi Jinping and won’t be able to have anything more than 18th Century muskets we will definitely thank you for that!
Yeah, this is pretty stupid. I know he is trying to gin up his base, but he is ginning up the leftists even more. He’s giving them fodder for their ads, and their fundraising. Not the time.
IF IT WASN’T FOR TRUMP WE WOULD ALL BE IN GULAGS RIGHT NOW. BEST PRESIDENT FOR THE TIME.
Sorry Grqham but the SCOTUS made the right decision recently, putting the decision back into the individual states where the people of the state make the decisions not the Federal Government ! Stay out of it .
Obviously, Lindsey Graham doesn’t want to be in the senate majority next term. Wonder why?
If you are in the majority, you are responsible for results. The Biden inflationary recession will become a DEPRESSION in 23/24 if the GOP takes the House and stops Biden’s reckless spending. But we are at the end of a long economic cycle, and only massive and escalating spending can stave off that recession. Graham obviously doesn’t want any responsibility for the economic calamity to come.