Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace criticized her own party Thursday on “Morning Joe” for its position on abortion.
Mace argued the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and subsequent measures to restrict abortions are out of touch with the majority of the country. An Edison Research exit poll found a majority of midterm election voters prioritized abortion.
“[The Republican party has] not learned from the midterm elections, we haven’t learned post-Roe what really upsets and angers Americans,” Mace said. “I represent a swing district. When I came into Congress two years ago, I won by one point. And when my district was redrawn last year, I got a point-and-a-half better, not much of a margin. But I learned and figured out how, as a conservative, to reach out across the aisle in my first two years in office and deliver results and talk about issues that matter. And the number-one issue in the swing district that I represent, of course, was inflation, but the number-two issue was abortion, and it’s an issue that Republicans didn’t do very well on this summer after Roe.”
She urged both Republicans and Democrats to reach a bipartisan balance on women’s rights and the right to life. She expressed concern about her party’s agenda on abortion and criticized the lack of common ground being made on the issue.
“I’m pro-life, but the vast majority of people in my district didn’t agree with Roe being overturned,” Mace continued. “And we would hold town hall after town hall, trying to find and talk about that common ground and not racing to the fringes, and I would ask my colleagues to, you know, show some compassion to women. Show compassion, especially, to rape victims and girls who are victims of incest. We’ve got to show love and compassion even when we disagree.” (RELATED: Scarborough, Psaki Thank Conservatives And Supreme Court For Democrat Turnout In Midterm Elections)
“I am very worried about our agenda. I know that there are other swing district Republicans that want to stay in the majority, and we’re going to have to be vocal sooner rather than later,” she added.
Republican lawmakers at the federal and state level have put forth measures to impose certain restrictions on abortion, including a proposed 15-week nationwide ban and protection for born-alive infants. House Republicans put forth legislation Wednesday to condemn attacks on crisis pregnancy centers and impose penalties for doctors who deny medical care to an infant born alive during a botched abortion.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Tuesday that women in the state who take the abortion pill could face prosecution, according to AL.com. Mace responded that 90% of the American population supports Plan B, an emergency pill intended to prevent conception, and argued Congress needs to increase women’s access to birth control in order to protect women’s rights.
“I have a colleague in the House right now that wants to bring a bill to the floor that bans all abortions with no exceptions,” Mace said. “What are we doing here? That’s not where 90% of the country is, especially Republicans. I’ve polled the issue over and over and over again, and I would argue the vast majority, not just in my district, but across the state of South Carolina, they agree with us on this one.”