Sen. Lindsey Graham introduces bill to ban most abortions nationwide after 15 weeks

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibition astir abortions nationwide starting astatine 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The South Carolina legislator introduced the measure little than 3 months aft the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the law close to abortion. The measurement would sharply constrictive termination entree successful galore states — particularly bluish states, which thin to person much termination rights protections.

The authorities has small accidental of passing Congress arsenic it presently stands, arsenic Democrats clasp slim majorities successful some the House and Senate.

It arrives up of the pivotal November midterm elections, wherever expectations of a Republican rout person been thrown into doubt as grounds mounts that the reversal of Roe has galvanized Democratic voters. Abortion rights advocates person warned that a GOP takeover of Congress would pb to an erosion of women's rights, and galore were speedy to clasp up Graham's measure arsenic a premier example.

Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Republican who would determine whether to clasp a ballot connected a nationwide termination prohibition if the GOP wins the enclosure successful November, was reluctant to clasp Graham's bill.

"I deliberation astir of the members of my league similar that this volition beryllium dealt with astatine the authorities level," McConnell told reporters Tuesday afternoon. Other GOP senators person offered mixed messages connected the bill.

While the rubric of Graham's measure suggests it would barroom lone "late-term" abortions, it would restrict the process nationwide aft little than 4 months of pregnancy, a threshold that falls wrong the 2nd trimester.

Abortions are typically considered "late term" astatine 21 weeks of gestation oregon later, according the health-policy nonprofit KFF. But the enactment notes that that operation is not an authoritative aesculapian word and that abortions astatine that signifier are seldom sought and hard to obtain.

The 15-week bounds precedes the constituent of fetal viability, mostly considered to beryllium astir 24 weeks' gestation. The Supreme Court ruled successful Roe that women person the close to get an termination earlier viability, and that states tin commencement to enforce restrictions aft that point.

In the June ruling Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the precocious tribunal by a 5-4 borderline struck down Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, different lawsuit upholding termination rights. The ruling, by a tribunal that had grown overmuch much blimpish aft the assignment of 3 of erstwhile President Donald Trump's nominees, gave idiosyncratic states the powerfulness to acceptable their termination policies.

Numerous Republican-leaning states instantly moved to ban termination outright, portion galore Democratic leaders person sought to enshrine protections for the procedure.

Graham, a adjacent Trump ally, had antecedently expressed enactment for states mounting their ain termination laws. "That, successful my view, is the astir constitutionally dependable mode of dealing with this contented and the mode the United States handled the contented until 1973," Graham tweeted successful May.

But Graham has besides introduced authorities to restrict termination astatine the nationalist level — though his 2021 bill would person banned termination aft 20 weeks, alternatively than the 15-week bounds successful the existent version.

"Abortion is simply a contentious issue. Post Dobbs, America's got to marque a decision," Graham said astatine a property league Tuesday unveiling the caller legislation.

"States person the quality to bash it astatine a authorities level, and we person the quality successful Washington to talk connected this contented if we choose," helium said. "I person chosen to speak."

At the 15-week mark, Graham said, the fetus has developed capable to consciousness symptom from an abortion. After that point, his measure would let nary abortions but successful cases of rape oregon incest oregon to prevention the beingness of the mother. "And that should beryllium wherever America's at," the legislator said.

Graham was flanked by the leaders of aggregate anti-abortion groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

"This is unthinkable progress, but overmuch much enactment is needed," Dannenfelser said successful a statement.

The White House slammed Graham successful a connection aboriginal Tuesday, calling the measure "wildly retired of measurement with what Americans believe" and touting the Biden administration's legislative goals portion accusing Republicans of "taking rights distant from millions of women."

Pro-abortion rights groups echoed that sentiment, portion tying the contented straight to the midterm elections.

"Anti-abortion rights legislature Republicans are showing america precisely what they program to bash if they get power: walk a nationalist termination ban," Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said successful a statement.

"We would similar to convey Senator Graham for making it crystal clear to voters today that Republicans are moving connected a nationalist termination prohibition successful these midterms," said Dani Negrete, nationalist governmental manager of the progressive advocacy radical Indivisible.

Polls show attitudes connected termination shifting toward the "pro choice" presumption aft the Dobbs ruling. Some Republican candidates who antecedently touted hardline positions connected termination during GOP primaries person softened oregon muted their views arsenic they vie successful wide elections.

Democratic candidates, specified arsenic Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman, person leaned into the issue.

"Dr. Oz has made it *very* wide that helium wants to instrumentality distant women's reproductive freedom," Fetterman tweeted Tuesday astir his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz. "With the GOP introducing a nationalist termination ban, it's present much important than ever that we halt him successful November."