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House Republicans may have narrowly clinched the majority during last year's midterms, but one GOP lawmaker is urging her party to admit the reality of the disappointing election in regard to the issue of abortion.
A week into the new Congress, House Republicans are expected to move swiftly on anti-abortion bills. Dozens of influential advocacy groups have handed the new GOP majority a list of demands, calling for the implementation of a national abortion ban.
The renewed push to limit abortion rights comes as House Republicans are presented with their first chance to drive the agenda on the issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. But Representative Nancy Mace cautioned her colleagues against seizing on the opportunity, arguing that November's disappointing election will be only the beginning of the GOP's demise.
"We learned nothing from the midterms if this is how we're going to operate in the first week. Millions of women across the board were angry over overturning Roe v. Wade," Mace told Politico's Olivia Beavers on her party's stance on abortion.
While Republicans were expected to sweep the midterms last year, the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the landmark decision helped Democrats combat a "red wave" and maintain control of the Senate. In poll after poll, it was clear that the change to federal abortion rights became a driving force for voters and that the election would shape up to be a referendum on those rights.
On Tuesday, Mace said the impact abortion had on the midterms is evidence that it will be instrumental for the GOP to "find a balance between protecting women's rights and the right to life."
Because Democrats are still in control of the Senate and White House, anti-abortion legislation is unlikely to pass. With those odds, Mace accused her Republican colleagues of "paying lip service" by rallying behind unfeasible bills.
"What we're doing this week is paying lip service to life," she said. "Nothing that we're doing this week on protecting life is ever going to make it through the Senate."
"If we're going to get serious about saving lives, and maybe we should include access to birth control, that would make sense, right?" Mace continued. "What are we doing to protect women who are victims of rape or victims of incest? We're doing nothing."
A 2022 poll conducted by Pew Research found that the majority of Americans, 61 percent, believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
And historical trends suggest that support for abortion is on the rise. According to a Gallup poll released last year, the percentage of Americans who consider themselves "pro-choice" has risen to its highest level in decades, with 55 percent agreeing with the position.
Mace said that she plans to file legislation that would move House Republicans "in the right direction," saying it would include measures that "everybody can agree on, even Republican or Democrat."
Newsweek reached out to House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik for comment.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek senior reporter based in New York City. She has covered U.S. politics and culture extensively. ... Read more