(Wednesday PO) GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham introduces 15-week abortion ban in the Senate

[GuideToACrazyWorld]

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/13/11227009 ... the-senate

en. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has introduced a bill to create a federal ban on abortions at 15 weeks in an attempt to force Republicans to adopt a partywide consensus on the issue.

The move comes as Democrats have turned abortion into a rallying cry following the Supreme Court decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have consistently shown that a majority of voters oppose the end of federal abortion protections.
Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades
Reproductive rights in America
Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades

Graham acknowledged at a press conference on Tuesday that the legislation has very little chance of becoming law in the near future, and that's not just because Democrats control Congress and the White House. The proposed legislation includes exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother but it has not received the backing of any GOP leaders.

The effort is at odds with the views of many federally elected Republicans who have said the issue of abortion should be left to the states. Graham himself said the issue should be left to the states before reversing his position with this legislation.

Graham told reporters that he has not spoken to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., about the bill. McConnell himself has largely avoided committing to any discussion of a federal abortion ban. In the days following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe, a conservative victory decades in the making, McConnell explicitly downplayed the chances of such a ban ever being enacted.
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"It takes 60 votes in the Senate for either side to prevail on this issue," McConnell said at an event in his home state of Kentucky. "So I think the democratic process on this issue is going to work out at the state level."
Democrats wasted no time trying to tie all Republicans to Graham's plan

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement reaffirming Democrats' pledge to restore federal protections for abortion rights.

"Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions of women," Jean-Pierre said. "The President and Vice President are fighting for progress, while Republicans are fighting to take us back."

Democrats have warned for months that Republicans would move ahead with a federal abortion ban if they win back control in Washington--a message that has helped drive an increase in voter registration among women in several states.
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More women are registering to vote. How could that affect midterms?

The dynamic is particularly difficult for Republican candidates in places that aren't GOP strongholds, like Joe O'Dea who is running for Senate in Colorado. In a recent interview with NPR, O'Dea said he does not plan to support a federal abortion ban.

"I believe, the first five months, the mother has the choice," O'Dea said. "After that, there should be some exceptions rape, incest, life of the mother. Those should be exceptions. And I'll vote that way and I've been consistent about it."

But Graham said he thinks a federal abortion ban should be part of the campaign process and he wants his bill to represent the consensus view of the majority of groups opposing abortion rights.

"We are trying to basically normalize America here," Graham said. "If we stay on this and keep talking about it maybe in a decade this will be law."

[GuideToACrazyWorld]

This won't pass, of course, but I kind of wish it would. This would put the supreme court in the uncomfortable position of striking it down or admitting they were playing to theocrat when they over turned Roe.

[Tarmaque]

This won't pass, of course, but I kind of wish it would. This would put the supreme court in the uncomfortable position of striking it down or admitting they were playing to theocrat when they over turned Roe.

The interesting thing about this is not how the SCOTUS "played theocrat," but that their reasoning behind overturning Roe v Wade in the first place was because they claim it is a state's rights issue. As such, this law would be Federal overreach if anyone tried to apply it to those states who have enshrined abortion rights in their state constitutions or even simply in state law. Even better, those prosecuted under this law even in states with severe state restrictions on abortion could fight it on terms of the Equal Protection clause.

You're correct that this is going nowhere at warp 87, but I'm forced to wonder why Graham pulled this out of his bag of tricks right now. Could it be a distraction tactic? Or does he know he's going down and wants to make a last splash before they measure him up for an orange jumpsuit? The timing is rather bizarre.

[GuideToACrazyWorld]

The interesting thing about this is not how the SCOTUS "played theocrat," but that their reasoning behind overturning Roe v Wade in the first place was because they claim it is a state's rights issue. As such, this law would be Federal overreach if anyone tried to apply it to those states who have enshrined abortion rights in their state constitutions or even simply in state law. Even better, those prosecuted under this law even in states with severe state restrictions on abortion could fight it on terms of the Equal Protection clause.

That was my point, but I'm lazy and didn't explain it at all. I do think they are technically right in it being a states right issue, and by that logic this law is complete nonsense. Congress can, and should, act on this issue, but that would require an amendment.

You're correct that this is going nowhere at warp 87, but I'm forced to wonder why Graham pulled this out of his bag of tricks right now.

My guess is that it's mid-term posturing. Not productive mid-term posturing, but mid-term posturing just the same.

[Tarmaque]

My guess is that it's mid-term posturing. Not productive mid-term posturing, but mid-term posturing just the same.

Distract-a-rama

[Senor Natural]

Current SC has completely lost its legitimacy.
3 recent appointees blatantly lied in their confirmation.
2 court justices have legitimately been accused of sexual predatory actions.
One judge's wife worked to overthrow the 2020 election and refuses to answer questions about her role after initially saying she would.
The lack of faith in this court has no one to blame but itself.
The 'leak' is being described as what is hurting this court, but in reality, the 'leak' just exposed the hypocrisy of the court, that it doesn't act as a neutral arbiter of constitutional law, that in reality, this is an activist court that is trying to take the power of the legislative branch as their own by writing law through their decisions and avoiding the executive branch job of signing a law into effect after the legislative branch has passed it.
That is the judicial tyranny of Samuel Alito ad like minded political authoritarians on the court.
Roberts lost control of his court to politics, basically the politics of Donald Trump and MAGA.
That is why the legitimacy of this court is being questioned and rightly so.