Sen. Wicker the only Mississippi Republican to weigh in on national abortion ban proposal

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker was the one member of Mississippi’s Republican congressional delegation to answer questions this week a few proposal to impose a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, not too long ago proposed the 15-week ban within the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturning the nationwide proper to an abortion in June in a watershed case from Mississippi. The ruling — Dobbs v. Jackson Ladies’s Well being Group — meant the choice on whether or not to permit or to limit abortions can be for every particular person state to make.

The truth that the state of Mississippi is in an actual sense floor zero for the present abortion debate, due to the Dobbs case, makes the feedback of the state’s congressional delegation related.

However had been all silent — apart from Wicker.

“The Senate Republican convention is unified in in search of as many pro-life protections as attainable for all People, however this purpose has traditionally proven to be most successfully achieved when legislated on the native degree,” Wicker mentioned in a press release.

Graham, after all, is touting nationwide laws on abortion.

It could be truthful to say that some Republican candidates are backtracking on their place on abortion because the November midterm elections strategy. Polls in lots of states, together with Mississippi, point out that the Supreme Court docket motion overturning Roe v. Wade, which supplied the nationwide proper to an abortion, may not be as fashionable as some conservatives thought it could be. Voters in conservative Kansas rejected a state constitutional modification that might have made it simpler for the Legislature to ban abortion.

That vote was a wake-up name for a lot of.

In Might earlier than the Supreme Court docket had overturned Roe v. Wade, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, mentioned that it was “attainable” {that a} Republican-majority Senate would possibly vote subsequent yr on laws to position a federal ban on abortions.

However extra not too long ago as McConnell is making an attempt to elect sufficient Republicans in November to seize a Senate majority, he’s modified his tune.

Talking on Graham’s proposal for a nationwide 15-week ban, McConnell mentioned, “You’ll should ask him about it. By way of scheduling, I believe a lot of the members of my convention want that this be handled on the state degree.”

It is very important word that beneath Graham’s proposal there can be a 15-week nationwide ban however states that selected to have stricter bans, like Mississippi, wouldn’t be prevented from doing so. Mississippi bans all abortions besides within the case of rape and to protect the lifetime of the mom. As well as, Mississippi has one other regulation that bans abortions after six weeks besides in instances of medical emergency.

Wicker identified Mississippi has led the best way when it comes to anti-abortion advocacy.

“I hope that Mississippi’s robust legal guidelines defending the unborn can function a mannequin for my colleagues and assist them make a distinction of their respective states,” Wicker mentioned. “We can not permit partisan spin to undermine our dedication to struggle for the rights of the unborn, together with on the federal degree.”

It’s truthful to say that Wicker was a groundbreaker when it comes to passing legal guidelines to limit abortion in Mississippi. As a state senator representing Lee and Pontotoc counties in northeast Mississippi within the late Nineteen Eighties and early 90s, he was one of many leaders in passing laws enacting a 24-hour ready interval on having an abortion and imposing extra restrictions on abortion clinics.

At the moment, few states had been passing such laws.

Whereas Wicker was the one one of many 5 Republicans within the congressional delegation to touch upon the Graham invoice, all of them prior to now have expressed robust anti-abortion views. Mississippi’s solely Democrat within the congressional delegation – Bennie Thompson – voted for a invoice that primarily would have restored the Roe v. Wade requirements. That invoice handed the U.S. Home, however was blocked by Senate Republicans.

The problem of abortion, little question, shall be a serious concern within the November elections. Polls point out that the difficulty of abortion may present Democrats a lift. However in Mississippi abortion will not be anticipated to be a serious concern.

Wicker and the state’s different U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith usually are not up for re-election this yr. The three Home incumbents — Michael Visitor of the third, Trent Kelly of the first and Thompson of the 2nd — are all heavy favorites and it’s uncertain that their place on abortion will change these odds a lot.

Within the 4th District, Republican Mike Ezell, who defeated incumbent Steven Palazzo within the Republican main, can be anti-abortion.

The query is will Republicans vote on a nationwide ban on the flamable concern in the event that they seize the Home and Senate this November.

To this point, their place has been fluid.