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South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tore into CNN “State of the Union” host Dana Bash on the topic of late term abortion in a fiery interview.
The argument occurred during his appearance on the CNN Sunday show s the two discussed the ongoing judicial fight over the abortion drug mifepristone.
Rush Transcript:
BASH: Senator, I have heard you say both on this issue, that it is a state issue, but now you do support a federal ban. So who’s right here?
GRAHAM: Right.
Well, I have been supporting a limit on late-term abortions for — since 2015. I had a bill to limit abortions at 20 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother. Seventy percent of Americans support limiting abortion when the — when the unborn child can feel pain; 50 of 53 European nations limit abortion at 15 weeks or less.
BASH: But my question is, is it a federal issue or a state…
GRAHAM: The modern Democrat — yes, it’s a human rights issue. Does it really matter where you’re conceived?
At 15 weeks, you have a developed heart and lungs. And to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience. It’s barbaric. It’s out of line with the rest of the civilized world. Only North Korea and China allow abortion demand up to the moment of birth, except the Democratic Party.
What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded…
BASH: Well…
GRAHAM: … I think is barbaric. I welcome this debate.
BASH: Well…
GRAHAM: I think the Republican Party will be in good standing to oppose late-term abortion, like most of the civilized world.
BASH: Just for the record, Roe went up to viability.
But I just want to button this up. The…
(CROSSTALK)
GRAHAM: No, that’s no — no, no, quit covering for these guys.
No, no, no, your — media, you keep covering for these guys. They introduced legislation that allowed abortion demand with taxpayer- funded — you paying for it, the taxpayer, up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington. That’s the law they want to pass. And nobody in your business will talk about it.
It’s barbaric.
BASH: Senator — Senator, I’m not covering for anybody. And you know that.
GRAHAM: Yes. Yes.
BASH: And when I have Democrats on — and I have had Democrats on — I have asked…
GRAHAM: OK. Well, just report — report the facts.
BASH: I have many — all of them about their position where — where they believe this issue should be.
My question for you, sir, is about…
GRAHAM: Well, I can tell you how they voted.
BASH: My question for you, sir, is about President Trump, who you have endorsed to be president again. Is he right in saying that this issue should be a states’ issue?
GRAHAM: He said yesterday, I think, at a speech in Iowa that he opposes late-term abortion.
Here’s what I believe, that anybody running for president who has a snowball’s chance in hell in the 2024 primary is going to be with me, the American people, and all of Europe saying late-term abortions should be off the table. Seventy percent of the people oppose late- term abortions.
I am confident, over time, that’s where our nominee will be. I am confident that no Democrat will answer the question of, when do you draw a line? They never get challenged. I welcome this debate.
Before the Supreme Court decided to allow the drug to remain available as the legal battle continues in the Fifth Circuit the Department of Justice asked the court to step in.
ABC News reported.
The Justice Department had asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay of an appeals court ruling that would sharply restrict access to the widely-used abortion medication mifepristone. The restrictions were set to take effect early Saturday morning.
On behalf of the FDA, DOJ asked the court to impose an immediate administrative stay of the 5th Circuit’s abortion pill decision — to preserve the status quo while the justices consider the application — but to ultimately stay the ruling pending appeal.
“If allowed to take effect, the lower courts’ orders would upend the regulatory regime for mifepristone, with sweeping consequences for the pharmaceutical industry, women who need access to the drug, and FDA’s ability to implement its statutory authority,” the Department of Justice said.
“Regulated entities are trying to discern their legal duties and urgently demanding guidance. FDA has spent the last week first grappling with the implications of the district court’s order, then racing to untangle the different and enormously more complicated issues raised by the Fifth Circuit’s decision. And in the meantime, another district court has enjoined FDA from doing anything to change the conditions on the distribution of mifepristone in 17 States and the District of Columbia — which means that FDA risks contempt if it takes action to permit the marketing of mifepristone in a manner consistent with the Fifth Circuit’s order. This Court should put a stop to that untenable situation by staying the district court’s order in full,” it said.
The administration said that the decision by the Texas court is “the first time any court has abrogated FDA’s conditions on a drug’s approval based on a disagreement with the agency’s judgment about safety — much less done so after those conditions have been in effect for years.”
