>>> NEW CNN REPORTING THIS MORNING ON SENATOR LINDSEY
GRAHAM'S PROPOSED BAN ON ABORTION AFTER 15 WEEKS OF
PREGNANCY. A NATIONAL BAN.
A SOURCE TELLS CNN THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS INTENDED TO ARM
REPUBLICANS WITH A POLICY ISSUE THEY COULD RALLY AROUND AHEAD OF
THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. SENATOR GRAHAM'S CURRENT STANCE
IS A REVERSAL FROM HIS PREVIOUS POSITION.
>> I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT. I THINK STATES SHOULD DECIDE THE
ISSUE OF MARRIAGE AND STATES SHOULD DECIDE THE ISSUE OF
ABORTION. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A LAW, AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THAT WOULD SAY, AFTER 15 WEEKS, NO ABORTION
ON DEMAND, EXCEPT IN CASES OF RAPE, INCEST, TO SAVE THE LIFE
OF ANOTHER. >> CONSISTENT, NO.
JOINING US NOW IS CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER MELANIE ZANONA AND
ISAAC DOVARE. WHY DID THE SENATOR DO THIS?
>> I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS OVER
THIS MOVE. SO I TALKED TO SOME REPUBLICANS
ABOUT WHY IS LINDSEY GRAHAM DOING THIS?
IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS. REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY
ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR MESSAGING ON ABORTION HAS NOT WORKED.
THEIR ATTEMPTS TO RUN AWAY FROM THE ISSUE HAVE NOT WORKED.
SO THERE ARE SOME IN THE PARTY, INCLUDING LINDSEY GRAHAM, WHO
THINKS IT'S BETTER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE HEAD ON AND SHOW THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT ABORTION AND TRY TO GET
THE DEMOCRATS ON DEFENSE. BUT OF COURSE NOT EVERYONE IN
THE PARTY AGREES THAT THIS IS A GOOD STRATEGY RIGHT BEFORE THE
MIDTERMS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT A POPLULAR POSITION IN
THE KEY BATTLEGROUND DISTRICTS, HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ARE DIVIDED
OVER THIS. I REPORTED THAT, THERE WAS A
HEATED MEETING WHERE YOU HAVE CONSERVATIVES SOME SAYING IT
GOES TOO FAR, SOME NOT FAR ENOUGH.
THEY'RE RUOLLING OUT NEXT WEEK LAW THAT JUST SAYS WE'RE GOING
TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF THE UNBORN CHILD.
>> IT JUST THROWS THE MIDTERMS INTO QUESTION.
HOW IS THIS GOING TO IMPACT THE RESULTS THERE.
INDIANA'S PASSED LAW BANNING ABORTIONS WENT INTO EFFECT
TODAY. OHIO'S BAN ON ABORTIONS AT SIX
WEEKS. THE MAP YOU ARE LOOKING AT, SHOW
THE STATE-BY-STATE CHANGES, SINCE THE JUNE DECISION TO WIPE
ROE V. WADE OFF OF THE BOOKS. DEMOCRATS SEE THAT ANGER IS
HELPING THEM IN THE MIDTERM CAMPAIGN.
NOW, THERE'S GRUMBLING THAT ONE OF THEIR OWN MIGHT BE GIVING THE
DEMOCRATS A GIFT. LINDSEY GRAHAM JUST INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION OF BANNING ABORTIONS AT 15 WEEKS.
NOW, MIDTERM FUEL. >> IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT
REPUBLICANS' TRUE INTENTIONS, ABOUT THE EXTREME ABORTION
PLANS, THERE'S NO QUESTION AFTER THIS WEEK.
THEIR PLAN IS PLAIN AS DAY. REPUBLICANS WANT TO BAN ABORTION
IN EVERY SINGLE STATE AND THEY WANT TO PUNISH DOCTORS.
>> PATTY MURRAY, A DEMOCRAT ON THE BALLOT, IN A RACE WE'RE
KEEPING AN EYE ON. >> WE SHOULD APPLAUD POLITICIANS
THAT MAKE THEIR BELIEFS KNOWN. >> ONE OF THE THINGS FOR
REPUBLICANS IS THEY WANTED TO RETURN ABORTION RIGHTS TO THE
STATES. THIS TAKES THAT OFF OF THE
TABLE. AND REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES HEARD
THAT. AND NUMBER TWO, THE DAY THIS
HAPPENED WAS NOT A DAY OF GREAT ECONOMIC NEWS FOR THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION. AND IT COMPLETELY WIPED THAT OUT
OF THE NEWS INSTEAD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LINDSEY GRAHAM.
AND NONE OF THE SENATE COLLEAGUES WANTED TO DISCUSS IT.
THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY ALL DAY.
AND YOU SEE THE DEMOCRATS GLEEFULLY SKIPPING AROUND THE
CAPITOL ALL DAY. THIS WAS A GIFT FOR THEM.
>> THERE'S PLENTY OF EVIDENCE OUT THERE.
IN A LOT OF PLACES, NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT IN A LOT OF
PLACES, THIS IS HELPING THE DEMOCRATS IN THE SUBURB.
WE SAW THE KANSAS REFERENDUM. DEMOCRATS THINK THIS HELPS WIN
BACK THE MODERATE REPUBLICANS AND THE INDEPENDENTS WHO MIGHT
BE READY TO VOTE AGAINST PRESIDENT BIDEN BECAUSE OF
INFLATION, BECAUSE OF CRIME. YOU MENTIONED THE DEMOCRATIC
GLEE. LISTEN TO THIS.
THIS IS SEVERAL OF LINDSEY GRAHAM'S COLLEAGUES RATHER
UNCOMFORTABLE. >> THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT PEOPLE
TALK ABOUT. ULTIMATELY, THE CAMPAIGN -- THE
ELECTION WILL BE ABOUT THIS INFLATION.
>> I DON'T THINKS IN ANYTHING AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL THAT COMES
CLOSE TO GETTING 60 VOTES. >> I SUPPORT THIS GOING OUT TO
THE STATES AND LETTING PEOPLE DECIDE.
>> LET'S BE CLEAR HERE. THE VAST MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS
IN CONGRESS WOULD SUPPORT -- HAVE SUPPORTED SOME FORM OF
ABORTION. IT'S NOT THEY DON'T SUPPORT THIS
ON THE SUBSTANCE. WHAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IS
BRING IT UP RIGHT NOW. THEY KNOW THIS HAS GALVANIZED
MANY VOTERS, INCLUDING INDEPENDENT VOTERS AND SUBURBAN
VOTERS AND VOTERS THEY NEED IN NOVEMBER.
TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW, IT DIVIDES THE PARTY.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEVER WANT TO DO EIGHT WEEKS FROM AN
ELECTION. AND THE ELECTION IS A CHOICE.
LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID THIS OUT LOUD, IF YOU ELECT REPUBLICANS
THIS KIND OF THINGS WILL GET A VOTE.
AND IF YOU ELECT DEMOCRATS, IT PROBABLY NEVER WILL.
AND THAT'S A MESSAGE THAT REPUBLICANS DON'T WANT VOTERS TO
THINK ABOUT AS THEY ARE TURNING, SHOULD I VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRAT
OR THE REPUBLICAN IN MY STATE? FOR SOME VOTERS, THAT MIGHT
STEER THEM TOWARDS THE REPUBLICANS.
BUT THEY PREFER THAT NOT BE THE GROUND THAT PEOPLE DECIDE ON.
>> MITCH McCONNELL SAID, IF HE WOULD -- THE MAN WHO CONTROLS
THE SCHEDULE AND ASSUMING IF THEY TAKE THE SENATE, HE WOULD
CONTROL THE SCHEDULE AGAIN. HE WAS DISMISSIVE OF THAT.
>> WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE RACE.
MAGGIE HASSAN, IT'S A TOUGH STATE.
SHE THINKS THIS ISSUE HELPS HER IN THE SUBURB WHERE'S THE VOTES
ARE. >> THIS IS ABOUT WHETHER YOU
TAKE RIGHTS AWAY FROM HALF OF THE POPULATION.
AND WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN THE EXAMINING ROOM.
>> THANK YOU, SENATOR GRAHAM. >> THERE'S A REASON DEMOCRATS
ARE FGLEEFUL ABOUT THIS AND FORCEFUL.
THEY'VE SEEN IT IN THE NUMBERS AND IN THE KANSAS VOTE.
UP IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. O
OTHER ELECTIONS SINCE THE DOBBS RULING.
THEY FEEL THEY CAN GO TO THE POLLS WITH THIS.
IT'S CHARGED MODERATE VOTERS AND SOME REPUBLICAN VOTERS THAT
AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT THAT DECISION AND AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT
REPUBLICANS. >> AND THE DATA SAYS IT HELPS
THE DEMOCRATS. WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL IN
NOVEMBER. SOME THINK THAT IT COULD BE SO
OVERWHELMING, IT COULD BE A SURPRISE.
YOU'RE FROM OHIO, THE DEMOCRATIC RUNNING FOR THE OHIO RACE IN A
DEMOCRATIC FIRST MIDTERM ELECTION YEAR.
THINKING MAYBE THIS ISSUE HELPS. >> WITHOUT ABORTION, THIS BABY
WOULDN'T BE ON THE WAY RIGHT NOW.
MIKE DeWINE HAS BANNED ABORTION IN OHIO.
I WOULD HAVE DIED WITHOUT MINE. >> YOU HAD A HORRIBLE STORY
ABOUT THE YOUNG GIRL WHO HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER STATE, WHO WAS 10
AND ABUSED, TO GET AN ABORTION IN OHIO.
THEY HAD SOME EXTREMELY TRAGIC CASES ALREADY THAT HAVE MADE
HEADLINES. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO
HELP SOMEONE LIKE MAN WHALEY. YOU HAVE SEEN SOME --
CONGRESSMAN RYAN IS SEVERAL POLLS, AHEAD OF J.D. VANCE AT
THIS POINT. YOU'VE SEEN VOTER REGISTRATION,
AMONG WOMEN, GO UP IN OHIO. AS YOU SAID, WE DON'T KNOW IF
THAT WILL HELP DEMOCRATS. SOME DEMOCRATS THINK IT WILL.