by Kiannah Wierzchowski, Staff Writer & Illustrator
At the beginning of this summer, Roe v. Wade was brought up on a national level for the first time in a long time. Originally the case was ruled by the Supreme Court to allow the right to an abortion. However, on June 24, 2022, the Roe v. Wade case was overturned, causing discord and upset across the United States.
Following the overrule, Senator Lindsey Graham, of the South Carolina Republican Party, proposed a bill on September 13th, 2022; one that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Graham stated, “The science tells us that the 15-week period- the nerve endings of the baby are pretty well developed, and the child feels pain,” wanting to impose the “Protecting Pain-capable Unborn Children from Late-term Abortions Act”. The senator looked around the conference room he was in, protesting to his listeners, “And that should be where America is at”.
Graham wants his bill to “follow” the Democrats’ attempt to define abortion at the federal level. Referring to the Democrat’s late-term abortion bill, one which opposed pro-life, Graham mockingly referenced how their bill is similar to countries like North Korea, however. Graham’s abortion bill is said to be an attempt to align federal law with Florida’s, a state that has already enforced a similar 15-week abortion ban.
However, the bill is something to note, as The Guardian states, “It stands almost no chance of becoming law, but is seen by analysts as an attempt to frame the discussion around abortion”.
Even if this is true, a recent CNBC article states, “Abortion rights advocates have warned that a GOP takeover of Congress would lead to an erosion of women’s rights, and many were quick to hold up Graham’s bill as a prime example”, basically saying that these anti-abortion laws and bills are seemingly reversing the rights of women. In light of this, The Guardian affirms that “The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress ‘are committed to restoring the protections of Roe v Wade’”, bringing back abortion accessibility and rehabilitating faith in the future of accessible abortions, and women’s rights activists across America.