The anatomy of a self-inflicted wound

Let's call it a "Lindsey"

On Tuesday, America’s Aunt Pitty Pat introduced a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks. The bill’s name? The Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act. From Politico, Graham’s move surprised even his own party:

…some fellow Republicans said they were highly perplexed at Graham’s decision to inject a new abortion ban — more conservative than his previous proposals — into the nation’s political bloodstream at a precarious moment for the party.

This is not the first time some iteration of this bill has floated to the surface, though the timing is, well, highly perplexing. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has thrown the midterms into the air. Yet Graham appears to know our very soul when he said at a press conference explaining this confounding move to restrict abortions even more. He said:

“…that should be where America is at.”

(The day any woman goes to Sen. Graham for guidance on what do with her body is the day that woman should stop, drop, and think deeply about her life.)

Because words are important, we should note the following about this steaming turd of a piece of legislation:

Evidently, the GOP’s earlier suggestion that abortion laws should be decided by individual states was a ruse, and this most recent attempt could be the first step toward the GOP’s attempt to enact a complete and national abortion ban. Though West Virginia just passed a draconian abortion law, the public in general supports abortion rights. From Vanity Fair:

Polls have consistently shown that an overwhelming majority of Americans support reproductive freedom. Even in the GOP-led state of Kansas, voters soundly rejected a ballot initiative that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution.

Sadly, this kind of performative nonsense doesn’t just affect people who get pregnant in the U.S. Read this Guardian story, which explores how U.S. extremism in reproductive health emboldens extremism everywhere.

I imagine Sen. Graham would like to hear from you. Call him today at (202) 224-5972.