Prominent Republican senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, held his ground and opposed former President Trump’s stance regarding abortion policies. On the first day of the week, he expressed his strong conviction that it is crucial to implement a universal law on abortion, notwithstanding Trump’s view that the decision should be made at the state level. Graham has shown a firm commitment toward curbing abortions after the 15-week gestation period, a position he clarified in a statement issued on the same day.
‘My respectful disagreement with former President Trump arises from his viewpoint on abortion as a matter within the jurisdiction of individual states. The argument made in the Dobbs case doesn’t necessarily lead us to this conclusion, and the advocacy for life has consistently been centered on the welfare of the unborn, not the geographical limitations,’ Graham explained. ‘The assertion of leaving the matter to state authorities contradicts the prevalent American consensus steering us toward restricting late-term abortions.’
According to Graham, the inclination towards giving abortion laws to individual states to handle is counterproductive, a failing he likens to the infamous Dred Scott ruling that stripped pre-Civil War black slaves of the possibility of citizenship. ‘The scientific facts are unambiguous – a fetus at the 15-week mark is significantly developed and capable of experiencing pain,’ Graham affirmed. The parallel he draws here is between the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that upset the longstanding Roe v. Wade and returned abortion issues to state jurisdiction, and the infamous Dred Scott v. Stanford case in 1857.
Trump addressed the issue of abortion rights on his Truth Social platform, suggesting the matter should be settled via legislations and votes within individual states. This elicited a reaction from currently sitting President Joe Biden, who forewarned that if Trump is re-elected, Republicans will promptly provide him with a nationwide abortion ban to approve.
Contrary to this, Graham has pledged to persist in his advocacy for a ‘national minimum standard limiting abortion after 15 weeks’. This concept has been crucial in a legislative proposal presented in 2022 by Graham himself. Despite failing to achieve broad support, the proposal maintained exceptions for instances of rape, incest, and threat to the life of expectant mothers, a position also held by Trump.
‘In our pursuit to establish this national law, we must not overlook the interim measures. At a minimum, we ought to grant anesthesia to any unborn child undergoing abortion at fifteen weeks, given the scientific evidence that they can feel pain,’ Graham further emphasized. ‘Therefore, I plan to introduce a new piece of legislation that mandates the administration of anesthesia to an unborn child at the 15-week mark during an abortion procedure because they are capable of experiencing pain,’
He expanded on his commitment to this cause, pointing out that ‘It is a regular medical practice to provide anesthesia when operating on an unborn child at fifteen weeks as a life-saving measure.’ This is a common practice in the medical field aimed at minimizing the pain a fetus could potentially feel during such procedures.
In his concluding remarks, Graham highlighted that ‘Out of fifty European nations, forty-seven enforce national abortion limits between twelve and fifteen weeks. This is widely accepted as the civilized world’s stance.’ This reference to international norms forms part of his argument, stressing the urgency of addressing this matter in the United States.