{"id":289807,"date":"2023-04-25T06:36:59","date_gmt":"2023-04-25T11:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=289807"},"modified":"2023-04-24T19:04:39","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T00:04:39","slug":"congressional-gop-retreats-federal-protections-preborn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/congressional-gop-retreats-federal-protections-preborn\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressional GOP retreats from passing federal protections for preborn humans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many prominent Republicans have resisted the idea of enacting federal abortion restrictions, underscoring a tonal shift in pro-life politicians\u2019 post-Roe<\/em> rhetoric.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, it works through committee, the Supreme Court has made that decision, it goes to the states, and states will take up that issue,\u201d House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) <\/span>reportedly said<\/span><\/a> at a press conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

The months following <\/span>Dobbs <\/span><\/i>have allowed what many conservatives sought for a long time \u2013 individual states debating the issue and making their own decisions on abortion rather than deferring to federal judges. In doing so, <\/span>Dobbs <\/span><\/i>has also forced conservatives to reconsider how they weigh their philosophical principles against political realities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re working on right now is primarily reacquainting members with the abortion issue after the Dobbs decision,\u201d Jennifer Popik, federal legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, reportedly said. \u201cThis is a very dramatically different landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The left\u2019s victory in Wisconsin this month prompted some, like conservative commentators Ann Coulter and <\/span>Kim Strassel<\/span><\/a>, to criticize Republican pushes for narrower pro-life restrictions. Coulter similarly derided Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for passing heartbeat legislation, which effectively restricts abortion to the first six weeks of pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

DeSantis\u2019 recent electoral victory, as well as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s, have been held up as proof that Republicans can win elections even while supporting bold, pro-life policies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some, like conservative author Ryan T. Anderson, have emphasized the importance of messaging in political battles. As Live Action\u2019s “What is Abortion?” campaign man-on-the-street interviews have shown, people often change their minds when confronted with the brutal reality of abortion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n