After a disappointing 2022 Senate cycle, Republicans are in a much better position to win a majority in 2024 in the races they face. However, the mainstream media claims otherwise, especially when it comes to the issue of abortion. On Wednesday morning, The Hill published “Abortion policy worries the Senate Republican Party”, with a particular focus on Senate races.
“Abortion policy is emerging as a top issue for Republicans ahead of the 2024 elections and threatens to derail their chances of winning control of the Senate, as some Republicans believe happened in last year’s midterm elections,” the article opens. The article also quotes a January post by former and potentially future President Donald Trump on Truth Social, in which he claims that the abortion issue will hurt Republicans in the 2022 cycle.
While speaking to Townhall during the March for Life in January, SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser mentioned in part that the interview was “the first time she had expressed such a reaction” and that she had thought about the issue thoroughly. “I’ve thought about this a lot because he’s always been a great ally, a great friend – personally and to the pro-life movement,” Dannenfelser said. “We think he is obviously wrong,” she said, regarding blaming Trump.
However, surprisingly, this passage makes no mention of what makes the map different. Republicans certainly had a disappointing cycle in 2022, but it was always going to be a bit rocky. They didn’t regain any seats and even lost one, and now Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) defeated Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz to replace retiring former Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA).
The year 2024 changes the situation. Not only is it a presidential election year, but Republicans are likely to hold onto the seats they are defending – such as Florida, Missouri and Texas – and also potentially pick up some in western Montana. Virginia and Ohio. Another piece from the Hill published in January highlighted these and some other great opportunities for Republicans.
In addition to a different type of map in 2024, there is also the issue of abortion itself. It wasn’t just the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade with his Dobbs v. Jackson decision last June, but as states introduce laws expanding or restricting abortion, chemical abortion is also in the news. All of them are giving the pro-life movement an opportunity to confront this issue head-on.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who is the Senate minority whip, was quoted emphasizing that the Republican Party is the pro-life party, but also acknowledging that the party doesn’t have an entirely consistent message. This is especially true when deciding whether abortion is best left solely to the states or whether the federal government plays a role:
Some GOP lawmakers support a nationwide abortion ban, while others want to leave the issue of scorching buttons entirely to the states.
Republican senators say they expect to have many debates on the topic within their conference in the months leading up to the next election.
“This problem is not going away,” said Republican Senator Whip John Thune (SD), who added that “at this point” there is no consensus in the Senate GOP conference on the role Congress should play in the national abortion debate.
“I think it’s something we’ll have a lot of discussions about. It goes without saying that we are a pro-life party and we want to take a political position that demonstrates this and values life. “I think what form it will take now is still up for debate,” he said.
Regarding the “national abortion ban” mentioned in the article, which was cited by abortion advocates and the Biden administration as a fear-mongering tactic, it is worth clarifying that what Sen. Lindsey, Graham (R-SC) has actually proposed is legislation that would ban most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. This is not only based on when unborn babies are in the womb may feel painbut also how gruesome procedure used for later abortions is more hazardous for the mother.
Running for his current position to replace retiring former Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), now Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) expressed the need for the bare minimum that such a law would provide.
With states like California now it allows abortion up to and even after birth, the United States remains in the EU an extreme minority of countries where elective abortions are allowed, 20 weeks have passed. California is more like human rights violators like China and North Korea, where abortions are also performed this slow.
Shortly after last November’s election, SBA Pro-Life America held a press conference call and stated that: released notes applaud those who were elected by boldly presenting their pro-life stance. Vance was one of those people, as were now Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), Senator Graham, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Ron DeSantis.
Vice President of Communications EV Osment of SBA Pro-Life America also provided a statement to Townhall in response to The Hill’s article. “The issue of abortion is not going away, and Republicans are the pro-life party. It is imperative that Republicans define their pro-life position and compare it to the Democrats’ extreme position of abortion on demand until birth for any reason. This includes Democrats’ fresh strategy of unsafe abortion pills sold by mail order without in-person doctor visits,” she said.
His statement also included a directive for pro-life candidates. “The clear lesson from the 2022 midterm elections and the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is that when candidates fail to state their position on abortion and allow their Democratic opponents to do so for them, they lose. Governors DeSantis, Kemp, Abbott and others went against vocal pro-abortion Democratic favorites like Stacey Abrams and Beto O’Rourke and won, following the will of the people and signing ambitious pro-life legislation that voters rewarded them. Republicans must recognize that the majority of Americans are on their side and demand restrictions on abortion. They just need to be brave and talk to them.
One of the governors mentioned, DeSantis, is almost certainly expected to run for president. An announcement is expected some time after the Florida Legislature ends next month. In addition to DeSantis signing a 15-week abortion ban last year, he also recently signed a bill banning most abortions once a heartbeat is detected, after about six weeks. While DeSantis’ bill was under intense scrutiny, it had support, including from SBA Pro-Life America.
Jon Schweppe, director of policy and government affairs at the American Principles Project (APP), noted his article published Tuesday in Newsweek: “Republicans should follow Ron DeSantis’ lead on abortion.In addition to emphasizing the benefits of pro-lifers “advocating for the best policies that can gain public support and contrasting them with the Democrats’ extremely unpopular abortion radicalism” during the election, he also had a clear message for pro-life candidates.
“The alternative for Republicans supporting such commonsense laws is to allow Democrats to draw a much less flattering contrast. And when Republicans allow Democrats to define them, as they did in 2022, they lose – and they lose huge. “The GOP’s ‘ostrich strategy’ of remaining silent on abortion simply isn’t working,” Schweppe wrote.
Also significant is that this cycle means another chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senator Steve Daines of Montana. Not only does Daines have bona fide pro-life credentials – he founded the Senate Pro-Life Caucus – but he also easily won re-election against former Gov. Steve Bullock in 2020 when some people thought the seat could swivel. Daines defeated the Democrat by 55 percent and Bullock by 45 percent.
