Some Senate Republicans have cautioned former President Donald Trump to leave restrictions on abortions to the states and not push for a 15-week national ban on the procedure as the November elections approach, The Hill is reporting.
Their comments came after Trump said he was leaning toward a 15-week national ban on abortions, but supports exceptions for rape, incest, and saving the life of the mother.
Abortion promises to be a galvanizing issue for some voters in the 2024 presidential election in which Trump will try to unseat Democrat President Joe Biden, Reuters noted.
"The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15," Trump said on the "Sid & Friends in the Morning" show on WABC. "And I'm thinking in terms of that. And it'll come out to something that's very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at."
The Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022 was applauded by Republican lawmakers for handing that power to the states to set parameters on abortions, The Hill noted.
"The Dobbs decision returned it to the states, and I've long said that this is an issue that belongs [with] the states. That's where I think it belongs," said Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., added: "I think that, in general, we ought to give the voters in the states the ability to decide this question. I'm pretty leery of any grand national bargain because I just don't think there's consensus there."
The Hill reported that a national 15-week ban on abortions appears to have the support of a majority of House Republicans, but appears to be favored by just a minority in the Senate.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he plans to reintroduce a 15-week abortion ban later this year, The Hill said.
"Yeah, I'm talking with the different groups on the best way to proceed," he said. "I plan to do that, absolutely."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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