When asked what types of restrictions Republicans should promise to deliver if they gain control of Congress in November, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida wouldn't commit to a specific abortion ban.
He stressed that he was pro-life and predicted that each state would have its own laws.
The GOP hasn't decided which approach to run on yet as they seek to expand their razor-thin minority in the Senate during the November elections.
The Supreme Court is poised to overturn its abortion decision, according to a leaked Supreme Court draft.
Republicans have supported some type of abortion ban. It is not clear whether they will seek an all-out ban or a more incremental approach if the court overturns the abortion law.
According to the Washington Post, some Republicans are crafting legislation for a six-week ban. The states should lead, according to others. In recent years, Republicans in the Senate have brought bills to the floor to restrict abortions later in a pregnant woman's life, including a bill that would have banned abortions after 20 weeks. The bill didn't have enough votes to pass.
Lawmakers should wait until an official Supreme Court decision is handed down to decide what specific bill they should support, said Marco Rubio when asked what specific bill Republicans should support.
If a Republican is elected president in 2024, Republicans could unify behind a ban on abortion that would be poised for passage, even though President Joe Biden would veto it.
The Women's Health Protection Act is a bill that would make it easier for women to get abortions.
Biden has urged voters to go to the polls to vote for pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House.
During a press appearance at Trump National Doral, where he had just received the endorsement of the Florida Police Benevolent Association but took questions from reporters on other topics, he made comments.
The senator said that his views on abortion might be different from what was politically feasible. He believes that life begins at conception.
He said that he was pro-life and that he was in favor of laws that protected it.
Republicans need 60 votes in the Senate to pass an abortion ban. Senate Minority Leader McConnell initially said a national ban was possible, but then said he wouldn't do it by abolishing the filibuster.
Since the Supreme Court leak, Democratic campaigns have been pressuring Republicans to say whether they support banning abortion in cases of rape and incest, and Republican campaigns have been pressuring Democrats to say whether they believe abortion should be allowed in the final stages of pregnancies.
Polling shows that both positions are unpopular, and that less than 1% of abortions happen in each of these circumstances.
The Women's Health Protection Act would have provided exemptions on abortions after viability. The Democratic candidate likely to face the Republican in November, Val Demings of Florida, voted for the abortion rights bill.
The legislation was called "radical and outrageous" on Saturday.
In 1973, the Supreme Court defined post-viability exemptions to allow for later abortions to protect emotional and psychological health. Doctors were allowed to factor in age and family circumstances.
If a fetus has a fatal abnormality, or if a pregnant woman is life threatening, Florida's law would allow later abortions. Rape, incest, and human trafficking are not exemptions. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has dodged questions over whether the state should restrict abortion even further.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
