Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar has broken with many members of her party to support limitations on abortion in the third trimester of pregnancy. She told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday that she supports allowing for limitations in the third trimester that do not interfere with the life or health of the woman. Klobuchar has long articulated the need for some restrictions on late-term abortions, telling Bloomberg in 2019 “there are limits there in the third trimester that are very important – about – except for the health of the woman.”
The third trimester in a pregnancy begins at 27 weeks, and less than 1% of abortions are performed at 21 weeks or later, according to a 2020 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Abortion has become an especially potent political topic in the year since the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the federal constitutional right to abortion nationwide. More than a dozen US states have banned or severely restricted access to the procedure since the ruling.
Klobuchar stated that she supports Roe v. Wade, which allows for limitations but also protects the life and health of the woman. She criticized leading Republican candidates for asking for abortion bans, citing former President Donald Trump’s recent gloating about how he had put these Supreme Court justices in place to reverse Roe v. Wade. In the 2022 midterms, abortion was a crucial motivator for many voters, as CNN exit polls showed that 46% of people said that abortion was the most important issue to their vote.
Abortion is also likely to be a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, as administration officials highlight what Democrats have done to protect access to abortion. Biden has vowed to issue a veto if a national ban is ever passed by Congress, stating that “MAGA Republicans made clear that they don’t intend to stop with the Dobbs decision. No, they won’t, until they get a national ban on abortion.”
Klobuchar’s stance on abortion puts her at odds with many members of her party who have been hesitant to offer specifics on abortion limitations. It remains to be seen how her position will influence the ongoing debate on abortion in the United States.
Original Story at edition.cnn.com – 2023-06-25 15:11:00
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