Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham will reportedly introduce an updated version of the Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act, which would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks.
Graham introduced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act alongside 45 other Senate Republicans in January 2021. The bill initially set the legal abortion limit at 20 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Republicans will lower the limit to 15 weeks following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, The Washington Post reported Monday.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states put into effect trigger laws setting limits on abortion or outlawing it entirely. Thirteen states fully ban abortion, according to The New York Times, while two more have passed heartbeat bills limiting it at six weeks. Forty-three states have at least some time limits on the procedure, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. (RELATED: Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt Pulls The Trigger On Statewide Abortion Ban)
Graham’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the matter.
News: @LindseyGrahamSC will introduce a national abortion ban in the Senate tomorrow.
Unless something really unexpected has happened, this will be a 15-week ban. Very interesting that it’s being cast as a “late term abortions act” 👀 pic.twitter.com/WMUVO3ys8l
— Caroline Kitchener (@CAKitchener) September 13, 2022
Polls conducted before and after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization have consistently shown that while Americans support legalized abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy, support drops significantly in the second and third trimesters. Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey generally prohibited states from limiting abortions before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Republicans have struggled to navigate the post-Roe landscape, with Democrats over-performing in several low-turnout special elections. Voter registration shifts also suggest increased Democratic voter enthusiasm, particularly among suburban women.
Several Republican candidates have expressed moderated stances on abortion following the Dobbs ruling. Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters edited his campaign website to say that he supports a ban on late-term abortions, although he previously supported a fetal personhood bill. Similarly, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz told reporters on Sept. 6 that he does not support introducing criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions.
Graham will hold a press conference unveiling the revised bill later Tuesday.