Here's what Sen. Chuck Grassley thinks about a proposed nationwide 15-week abortion ban
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Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he believes decisions on limiting abortion should remain with the states, even as one of his Senate colleagues has proposed banning the procedure nationally after 15 weeks.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, introduced the ban eight weeks before the midterm elections, saying he believes it could help Republicans running in the midterms.
Grassley is running for reelection to an eighth term this fall.
Graham's proposal brought swift condemnation from Democrats.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said Tuesday most of the GOP conference believes abortion should be decided at the state level.
What did Chuck Grassley say about a 15-week abortion ban nationally?
Asked Wednesday whether he supports the proposal, Grassley, who is running for reelection in November, did not directly say whether he would support it. But he told Iowa reporters that "this is a state issue."
The comments are similar to how he has responded in the aftermath of the June U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and found that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.
"Finally after 50 years, this issue has been returned to the states so the voters can have a voice through their elected representatives at the state level, and not by unelected judges," Grassley said Wednesday. "So this is a state issue."
Currently, Iowa law bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Grassley is facing Democrat and retired U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Franken in the November election. Franken has advocated for increased access to abortion services, and he said he supports ending the filibuster in order to codify abortion protections into law.
More: Iowa abortion providers argue no legal basis exists to enact near ban
What would Lindsey Graham's abortion bill do?
Graham's bill, the "Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act," would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and include exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother.
His bill also includes criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions, including up to five years in prison.
Democrats control the Senate and are unlikely to bring this legislation to a floor vote. But Graham said this bill could give Republicans a counterargument on abortion in their midterm runs.
Graham said Tuesday that the 15-week timeframe is in line with scientific data on when fetuses start feeling pain.
But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that fetuses don't have that capacity until after at least 24 to 25 weeks.
What has Sen. Joni Ernst said about the national abortion ban?
Kelsi Daniell, a spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, said in an email Wednesday that "as Iowans know, Sen. Ernst is adamantly pro-life and has said states should be part of these ongoing discussions."
Both Grassley and Ernst in May also voted against legislation that would legalize abortion nationally, as Democrats fought to codify abortion protections after the Supreme Court's draft opinion leaked.
Grassley has also said it would be unconstitutional to restrict people from traveling across state lines to seek abortion services.
More: U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, state Sen. Zach Nunn battle over abortion in 3rd District race
Where is the House on a national abortion ban?
Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-New Jersey, introduced a similar bill in the House on Tuesday. Iowa Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra are among 84 co-sponsors of the House bill "to protect pain-capable unborn children."
Each of them issued statements in support of the legislation Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, the lone Democrat in Iowa's delegation, meanwhile has condemned the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and has voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, which would require legal abortion until the fetus is viable outside the womb.
More: Axne, state Sen. Zach Nunn battle over abortion in 3rd District race
How have Democrats reacted to a national abortion ban?
Iowa Democratic Party chairperson Ross Wilburn on Tuesday called on Iowa's Republican members of Congress to be clear on whether they support Graham's proposal.
"Reproductive freedom is about personal liberty and ensuring Iowans can make important decisions about their health care with their doctors and the people they trust," he said in a statement. "Control over your own body gets at the heart of what it means to be free, and Iowa Democrats believe that everyone has the right to decide their own destiny."
More: Chuck Grassley answers questions on student loans, FBI, abortion at final 99 county stop
USA Today contributed to this report.
Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chuck Grassley calls Lindsey Graham's US abortion ban 'a state issue'
