Will the GOP rally around a 15-week abortion ban? Republicans debate their options

WASHINGTON — After the midterm elections Republicans may face the potential peril of success: winning a majority in Congress with the help of a base that expects them to pursue federal limitations on abortion.

Anti-abortion advocates say it is imperative that Republicans unite on a position, even though President Joe Biden has said he will veto any form of a national ban.

Sen. Lindsey Graham has sought to build consensus around federal legislation that restricts access to abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except for in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother, that he and prominent anti-abortion activists say can serve as a framework for the party’s varied coalition of voters, lawmakers and prospective presidential candidates.

“If you're running for president as a Republican in 2024, it’s not enough in my view to attack extremism Democrats on abortion. You need to lay out for the country where you would be as president,” Graham told USA TODAY. “There'll be some running for office in 2024, for president, that probably would want to be more restrictive. I understand that. But I'm hoping this becomes the consensus position, because it puts us in line with the majority of Americans on a very difficult topic.”

Yet, the legislation has been met with lukewarm support from the GOP, with Republican leaders declining to endorse his bill and many senators steering clear as they center their midterm messaging on inflation and the economy. Some conservatives say they want a stricter limit than Graham proposed. Others say that regulating abortion should be a state-level decision.