CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for his State’s open Senate seat, over when to restrict abortion in a Sunday interview.
Abortion became a central political issue for voters in the upcoming midterm elections with the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Bash questioned the Democratic representative on which point in the pregnancy he supports restrictions and bans on abortion as he continuously criticizes his Republican opponent, “Hillbilly Elegy” author J.D. Vance, for his stance on the issue.
Ryan said abortion should not occur late in the pregnancy unless there is a medical issue.
“Of course, we don’t support abortion at the end of term, unless, of course, there is an extraordinary circumstance, where, you know, you’re eight months into a pregnancy and something very tragic is happening in that pregnancy where you have a room, you’ve bought toys, you have clothing for the baby, everyone’s excited, and then something tragic happens. That needs to be left up to the doctor, not to J.D. Vance, Ted Cruz or anybody else. That’s a very serious situation.”
“But as a legislator, you have to have some idea about what you want to do when you’re not a doctor,” Bash said. “So should there be some restrictions when it comes to the law of the land?”
Ryan repeated that the decision is between a woman and her medical professional given that a legislator cannot make decision for every circumstance. (RELATED: Newsmax Host Presses Jim Jordan On 10-Year-Old Rape Victim, Rape Exceptions)
“But it sounds like you’re saying no restrictions,” Bash said.
“Well, I think no one is supporting abortion towards the end. Absolutely no one’s for that, it rarely happens,” Ryan said. “But what we’re saying is, are we gonna preserve the woman’s right to choose at the end to save her own life? I mean, come on, like should the government really be in there? That sounds very anti-American and the extreme position is like where J.D. Vance is, where if you’re raped, you are forced to have the rapist’s baby, where there’s no exceptions at all. And we see people who are underage who have to go to other states who have been raped. That’s insanity.”
Ryan said Roe v. Wade had worked for the last 50 years and accused extremists of attempting to overturn the status quo.
Since 2019, Ohio has outlawed abortion after a doctor detects a fetal heartbeat, which typically occurs around the sixth week of gestation. The law provides exceptions for a “medical emergency” or serious risk of impairment to the body, while providing no exception for rape and incest.
Vance said in July that he supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, believing that abortion laws should be left to the state level. He also expressed his support for the Ohio fetal heartbeat law.