Both Parties Say Abortion Bans Give Dems a Political Weapon
WASHINGTON (AP) – Members of both parties say a flood of laws banning abortions in Republican-run states has handed Democrats a political weapon for next year’s elections.
They say the restrictions will help Democrats paint the GOP as extreme and woo centrist voters who could decide tight House and Senate races.
The most stringent statute is Alabama’s, which outlaws virtually all abortions, even when the mother was a victim of rape or incest. Top Republicans are distancing themselves from it. President Donald Trump, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other GOP lawmakers say they support retaining the exemption for rape and incest victims.
GOP consultant David Flaherty says the Alabama law is “a loser” for Republican candidates in swing states and will cost the party support from women.
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