Raskin Runs Through Shifting Republican Abortion Talking Points in Floor Speech

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) took Republican lawmakers to task after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced a bill that would ban abortion in the United States after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion. The 5-4 opinion said the matter is to be left to the states or Congress to decide. Graham, who just last month said abortion should be left to the states.

“I think states should decide the issue of marriage and states should decide the issue of abortion,” he declared.

Speaking on the House floor on Wednesday, Raskin accused Graham and Republicans of repeatedly shifting their positions on abortion:

Now, originally they said, “Well, Roe v. Wade is settled precedent. We accept that.”

Then they packed the court with their justices who were determined, hellbent, on overturning Roe v. Wade. And they did it.

Then we heard from our friends across the aisle. “Well, this is a matter for the states. Let the states decide.”

And now we hear from our colleagues in Congress, “No.” They want a national criminal ban on the right of women to make their own decisions about their health, their families, their careers, and their futures. And then they will even allow states to go beyond that to completely ban abortion which is, of course, the essential pro-life position, which we’ve heard from our colleagues across the aisle.

Later, Raskin said some Republicans appear to be shying away from Graham’s legislation and the abortion issue generally as the midterms near.

“I thought we were going to be distracted with Republican calls to ban abortion across the country,” Raskin stated. “Well, the polls must be teaching them something because I’m not hearing about abortion today.”

He went on to say polls show a majority of Americans “are on the side of freedom and the rights of women and men and families to take their own decisions, and not to have those decisions be made by Lindsey Graham.”

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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