Senator Chuck Grassley announced he will not support a national ban on abortions, even after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Grassley is the most senior Republican in the United States Senate and is currently seeking his eighth term in office.
Grassley said in a televised debate that he would vote “No” on the proposal which was introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham. The Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act prohibits abortions after 15 weeks. However, it allows for exceptions if the pregnancy was conceived through rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.
Nine senators have sponsored the proposal so far – Steve Daines of Montana, Marco Rubio of Florida, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, John Thune of South Dakota, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Missippi, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Roger Marchal of Kansas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
The House of Representatives has proposed an identical piece of legislation that was introduced by Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey. There are currently 100 co-sponsors.
According to a poll from Emerson College, Grassley currently leads his opponent, Democrat Mike Franken, 49% to 38%. The poll found that 45% of voters believe the most important issue during midterm elections is the economy. This is followed by threats to democracy (17%) and abortion access (12%).
However, 49% of Iowa voters say they are more likely to participate in this year’s elections because the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
“Embracing a 15-week abortion ban could rev up opposition among Iowa Democrats, especially younger voters in Des Moines and Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, which is overwhelmingly more liberal than the rest of the state,” reported The Hill.
Previously, Grassley, and 42 other senators, supported a national ban on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy that Graham introduced in January of 2021.
Franken said he would support unlimited access to abortion. His reasoning is that the procedure should be decided by a patient and a doctor.
“Well, the short of it is this is the most private, personal time in a woman’s life. We should have the government stepping in to determine when viability exists, etc,” said the retired Navy Admiral.”The doctor knows this and the woman knows this. This is not something for the government to step in and make those determinations.”
Grassley said he is “Pro-Life, Pro-Mother, and Pro-Family” but abortion should be regulated by state legislatures.
