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U.S. NEWS Saturday 25 May 2019

There's potential for even vote. The flare-up prompt- 18. "We must stick togeth-
more division. ed a five-day postpone- er and Win.... ....for Life in
The Federalist, an online ment before final approval 2020. If we are foolish and
magazine influential in con- came on May 14. do not stay UNITED as one,
servative and anti-abortion Emboldened by the bans, all of our hard fought gains
circles, ran an article this 17 anti-abortion leaders for Life can, and will, rapidly
week by two abortion op- sent a letter Wednesday to disappear!"
ponents suggesting that Republican National Com- In several state legislatures,
women who induce their mittee chairwoman Ronna debate over the excep-
own abortions should be McDaniel requesting a tions produced dramatic
prosecuted for murder. meeting and urging the moments.
The position is at odds with GOP to explicitly oppose Samantha Blakely, 25, a
the pro-women rhetoric exceptions for rape and in- travel industry employee
of leading anti-abortion cest. from Birmingham, testified
groups. The signatories included at a hearing on the Ala- Protesters for women's rights hold a rally on the Alabama Capi-
tol steps to protest a law passed last week making abortion a
"We're 100% percent Kristan Hawkins, president bama ban about her de- felony in nearly all cases with no exceptions for cases of rape or
against prosecuting wom- of Students for Life, the Rev. cision to have an abortion incest, Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Montgomery, Ala.
en." said Kristi Hamrick, Frank Pavone, director of after a rape in 2017 result- Associated Press
spokeswoman for Students Priests for Life, and activist ed in pregnancy. She says
for Life of America. Ryan Bomberger , the son ban supporters ignore the after a fellow Republican ing neither Alabama-style
Divisions over rape-and-in- of a woman who was im- difficult situations faced by lawmaker passed out a fli- bans nor unrestricted abor-
cest exceptions have exist- pregnated by a rapist but women like her. er suggesting that a rapist tion access at any phase of
ed within the anti-abortion opted against having an "They have absolutely lost who impregnates his victim pregnancy.
movement for years, but abortion. sight of victims," Blakely should be referred to as a "Politically, promoting the
have become more ap- "We understand that issues told The Associated Press. "sperm donor." all-or-nothing positions
parent as several states in like rape and incest are dif- "There are blinders on, to After Mace proposed makes sense for fundrais-
the South and Midwest en- ficult topics to tackle." the block out victims of rape adding the exceptions to ing and mobilizing activists
acted tough bans on abor- letter said. "Nevertheless, it and incest." the bill, another GOP col- on both sides," he said via
tion. is our view that the value If the new law had been league protested, while re- email. "But it also makes it
Only the ban in Georgia of human life is not deter- in effect when she was ferring to rape in a way that impossible for the country
includes an exception for mined by the circumstanc- raped, Blakely said, she appeared to diminish its se- as a whole to come to-
victims of rape or incest — es of one's conception or would have done anything riousness as a violent crime. gether on the issue."
and then only if the wom- birth." to end the pregnancy — "The question is whether None of the abortion bans
an files a police report first. McDaniel, in reply, de- possibly including suicide. another life should be tak- enacted this year has tak-
Measures enacted in Ala- scribed the GOP as "the "I knew I would not be en because of a bad act," en effect. All are expected
bama, Ohio, Kentucky, Mis- party of life" and added, emotionally or mentally or said Rep. John McCravy to be blocked by federal
sissippi and Missouri do not "I welcome any discussion financially stable enough told fellow lawmakers. courts, with ban supporters
contain those exceptions, about how to protect it." to give that child what they In arguing for the exemp- hoping appeals might lead
nor does a measure near- Discussing the bans in an needed," Blakely said. "And tion, Mace had shared her to the U.S. Supreme Court.
ing final approval in Louisi- interview with CNN on May I didn't know exactly how own story of being raped, The recent Federalist ar-
ana. 17, McDaniel said, "Person- dangerous my rapist was one of several female law- ticle, by Georgi Boorman
Alabama's ban is the ally, I would have the ex- at the time. ... I knew he makers to do so amid the and James Silberman, took
toughest: Performing an ceptions. ... But we are a would try to somehow stay heated state abortion de- aim at the growing interest
abortion at any stage of party that is a broad tent." in my life and use that child bates. in do-it-yourself abortions,
pregnancy would be a President Donald Trump, to control me. And the The abortion bill eventually in which a woman could
felony punishable by up to House Minority Leader Kev- thought of those things, I'd passed the House with the receive the abortion drug
99 years or life in prison. The in McCarthy of California rather be dead." rape-and-incest provision misoprostol by mail and ter-
only exception would be and Senate Majority Lead- In South Carolina, where included, but did not get minate a pregnancy with-
when the woman's health er Mitch McConnell of Ken- the legislative session end- traction in the South Caro- out involvement of a medi-
is at serious risk. tucky also have distanced ed before a proposed lina Senate. cal professional.
Some Republicans in Ala- themselves from the no-ex- abortion ban could be Stephen Schneck, a retired The authors called for to-
bama's GOP-controlled ceptions bans. passed, there was bitter political science professor tal abolition of abortion, so
Senate, as well as minority "I am strongly Pro-Life, with debate over whether to at the Catholic University that "the murder of an un-
Democrats, were enraged the three exceptions - include an exception for of America, personally op- born boy or girl will be treat-
when an exemption for Rape, Incest and protect- rape and incest. poses abortion but believes ed exactly the same as the
rape and incest was re- ing the Life of the mother," GOP state Rep. Nancy most Americans have a murder of a toddler or older
moved without a roll call Trump tweeted on May Mace objected angrily nuanced view — favor- child."q