On Politics

Mon Apr 29 2024

Savannah Kuchar | Congress and Campaigns Reporter

Hello OnPolitics readers! Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he doesn't currently see a path for a national abortion ban, a step some of his conservative colleagues have pushed for recently.

As USA TODAY's Karissa Waddick reports, McConnell told NBC's "Meet the Press," "I don't think we'll get 60 votes in the Senate for any kind of national legislation," and that restrictions on the procedure will be "sorted out at the state level."

🤨 Did McConnell support national legislation in the past? As then-majority leader, McConnell brought two abortion-related bills – which lacked the 60 necessary votes to pass – to the floor of the upper chamber in 2020.

Now, McConnell, 82, said he'll leave the decision to states – something former President Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, has called for as well.

❔ Where do other Republicans stand? Abortion has split national Republicans seeking a winning approach to this hot-button issue for voters.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has proposed a national abortion ban at 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for rape, incest and life-threatening medical emergencies. Graham, who's usually a reliable Trump defender , criticized the former president for being opposed to such a measure.