This Year Was A Warning To Republicans Running On Anti-Abortion Platforms In 2024
HuffPost
Republicans will need to rethink their abortion strategy if they want to compete in a post-Roe political world.
Despite Republican candidates nationwide still nursing their wounds from an embarrassing performance in the 2022 midterm elections ― in large part because of their extreme stance on abortion ― House Republicans kicked off 2023 by passing a pair of anti-abortion bills full of misinformation and dangerous policy changes for pregnant people.
The move seemingly gave us a peek into the GOP mindset, from Capitol Hill all the way down to state-level lawmakers: opposing abortion will be a winning strategy.
In deep red states, Republicans introduced bills that would allow authorities to criminally prosecute pregnant individuals for seeking abortion care. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a six-week abortion ban into law, despite the question of whether the state’s 15-week ban was even constitutional. Idaho became the first state to restrict interstate travel for abortion since Roe v. Wade fell ― forcing providers to leave the state or face criminal punishment for doing their jobs. A Texas judge halted FDA approval for one of the two drugs used in medication abortion, laying the groundwork for a nationwide ban. North Carolina Republicans passed a 12-week abortion ban after a once pro-choice Democrat switched parties mid-session and gave Republicans a veto-proof majority.
Halfway through 2023, Republicans seemed to be gearing up to win the abortion battle. But, if you looked closely enough, there were clues that they knew their anti-abortion strategy was flawed and unpopular.
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