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lukewarm applause.
At my organization’s recent meeting, over 800 Catholics responded to Vice President Mike Pence: He had just called for a 15-week ban on abortion from the federal government, which clearly did not win the support of pro-life advocates, nor did it mesh with what the rest of the pro-life movement wanted. do not have.
But I can’t help but think Mr. Pence was right. For both principle and practicality, we should rally around the federal 15-week abortion ban.
Pro-life activists protest outside a family planning clinic in Washington, DC, January 20, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Don’t get me wrong. Like any good Catholic (or for that matter, any life or science advocate), I am totally in favor of ending abortion. Abortion is an injustice that hurts both mother and child and should be banished from America as soon as possible.
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But saying it and making it a reality are fundamentally different. If we are to get there, the pro-life movement needs to meet where the American people are now so we can set the stage for continued progress.
We are now in danger of losing the progress we have made. Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, about 24 states have taken steps to protect mothers and children, and some have banned abortion altogether. These laws have already saved tens of thousands of lives, and each year more children are given a chance to live.
But abortion advocates, even in red states like Kansas and Kentucky, have countered with a concerted campaign to pass ballot measures to remove all restrictions on abortion. They hope to have similar success in Ohio this fall.
Abortion activists are comfortable rolling back pro-life protections because they can portray Republicans as abortion extremists. Democrats support killing fetuses up to the moment of birth, even if the children are healthy and can live happily outside the womb and there are countless families who want to adopt them. This is a rich claim because
But since the Right is arguing everywhere about when abortion should stop, the Left can fan the fear that the Republican Party intends to stop all abortions everywhere. And abortion activists can promote this narrative anytime, anywhere, for any reason, without acknowledging that they do not want any restrictions on abortion.
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Message discipline is important in politics. The lack of a unified message for Republicans at this point leaves room for Democrats who want to expand abortion beyond the Roe era of tolerance. But if Republicans band together around a 15-week federal ban, the pressure will reverse.
The national debate could shift from Republicans banning abortions on the first day of pregnancy to Democrats supporting abortions on the last day of pregnancy. That’s the conversation the left doesn’t want. As mainstream polls show, more Americans support a 15-week ban than against it, and we live in a majority-ruled democracy.
Only the pro-life movement can move the Republican Party in this direction. Anti-abortion activists are the core of the Republican Party, just as pro-abortion activists are the core of the Democratic Party. Rallying around a 15-week federal ban could rally voters and lawmakers to enact this policy in the future.
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This is a significant improvement over the abortion system that existed under the Low administration, and states that wish to go further can still do so. A 15-week ban is far from perfect, but it will give the pro-life movement a chance to prepare for the bigger battles ahead.
Protect as many mothers and children as possible today. Then tomorrow we can redouble our efforts to change minds, win hearts and change cultures.
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