Sen. Lindsey Graham introduces bill to ban most abortions nationwide

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a bill Tuesday that would ban most abortions nationwide starting at 15 weeks of pregnancy.

He introduced the bill less than three months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion. The measure would sharply narrow abortion access in numerous states — especially blue states, which tend to have more abortion rights protections.

The legislation has little chance of passing Congress as it currently stands, as Democrats hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate.

It arrives ahead of the pivotal November midterm elections, where expectations of a Republican rout have been thrown into doubt as evidence mounts that the reversal of Roe has galvanized Democrats.

While the title of Graham’s bill suggests it would bar only “late-term” abortions, it would restrict the procedure nationwide after less than four months of pregnancy, a threshold that falls within the second trimester.

Abortions are typically considered “late term” at 21 weeks of pregnancy or later, according the health-policy nonprofit KFF. But that organization notes that that phrase is not an official medical term, and that abortions at that stage are rarely sought and difficult to obtain.

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