Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has refused to endorse a federal abortion ban at a specific number of weeks' gestation, saying that to do so would be to lie to the American people about what is politically possible. She was responding to a question from her interviewer about why she would not join another likely candidate, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, in endorsing a 20-week national ban.
Haley has said that the Senate filibuster makes it impossible to pass a federal Abortion Ban as strict as the ones that many Republican-led states have passed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, and that any anti-abortion president will need to find a “national consensus” (A Republican Senate majority could if it chose remove the filibuster.). On CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Nikki Haley made remarks about a potential federal abortion law:
Haley stated on Sunday that a Republican president could not institute a national abortion ban because lawmakers are so closely divided on the issue that it would require gaining support from both parties, including securing 60 Senate votes.
She also noted concerns over media coverage surrounding this topic,
The former governor of South Carolina called for finding common ground, emphasizing that restrictions recently passed in GOP-led states would not get approval on the federal level due primarily due obstacles such as filibusters and lack of bipartisan support required for passing legislation.
As Republicans continue grappling with their approach following Roe v. Wade's overturning, some figures like Donald Trump concede getting tough on abortion may alienate female voters. In contrast with Trump and other potential candidates such as Ron DeSantis, Haley positions herself as a more conventional conservative.
She has taken a tougher line on facing down Russia in Ukraine, and she does not want 'unelected justices' ruling on abortion. By distancing herself from demands for a federal abortion ban, Nikki Haley is calling for an honest approach that acknowledges the political challenges surrounding this issue.