McConnell says he is 'not advocating anything' at a federal abortion ban level
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he is not pushing for anything at the federal level for an abortion ban.
NBC's Kristen Welker asked McConnell on "Meet the Press" whether he would support a 15-week federal ban on abortions, like what Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is proposing. He said that he did not see how the Senate could get 60 votes in approving a federal abortion ban.
He suggested that the states will decide the issue of abortion and won't be decided by the federal government.
“Yeah, I'm not advocating anything at this level. I think it's gonna be sorted out all across the country and be very different in different states," he said.
McConnell’s comments come weeks after former President Trump said in a four-minute-long video that abortion law should be decided by the states — a statement that was criticized by both conservatives and liberals. Graham broke with Trump on the abortion stance and has previously shown support for a 15-week ban on abortion.
McConnell said that it was "possible" for a federal ban on abortion but that he did not think it would get through Congress.
“And the reason I said it was possible is because the Supreme Court has put this back into the legislative arena. And we're seeing it play out all across the country. And I think in the end, it'll reflect the views of these individual states,” McConnell said.
“But I said, ‘Possible.’ I didn't say that was my view. I don't think we'll get 60 votes in the Senate for any kind of national legislation. I think it's a practical matter. It's gonna be sorted out at the state level,” he continued.
When pressed further as to whether the Republican Party should take a firmer stand on whether it supports a national abortion ban, he again reiterated that views about the issue vary depending on the state.
“At the risk of being redundant, it seems to me views about this issue at the state level vary depending on where you are. And we get elected by states. And my members are smart enough to figure out how they want to deal with this very divisive issue based upon the people who actually send them here,” he said.