Abortion rights – and the possibility of the U.S. Senate taking up legislation proposed by Sen Lindsey Graham to ban abortion nationally at 15 weeks – is animating early debate in New Hampshire’s U.S Senate race.
Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who stresses abortion rights in every election, has repeatedly seized on the specter of a national abortion ban and declared that electing Don Bolduc, her Republican challenger, would give abortion rights opponents an ally.
Hassan points to Bolduc’s past statements on abortion — including his criticism that New Hampshire’s 24-week abortion ban is too lax, and calling the overturning of Roe v Wade cause for people to “rejoice.”
“He said he would vote for any anti-choice legislation in the U.S. Senate, and that he would never compromise,” Hassan said Friday at a Concord press conference.
During his primary campaign for the Republican Senate nomination, Bolduc often expressed opposition to abortion rights, saying he would “always default for a system that protects lives from beginning to end.”
But since winning the GOP nomination, Bolduc appears to be changing his stance. He told reporters late Tuesday night that he would oppose a national abortion ban. He said that after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a constitutional right to abortion in its Dobbs ruling that the matter should be left to states.
“I believe the federal government should stay out of it,” Bolduc said Tuesday. “The federal government has its hands in too many things. Let the state’s deal with it, and that’s going to be my position.”
Hassan, meanwhile, who has voted to allow taxpayer funding of abortion as a senator, said her stance on abortion is clear: All aspects of its, including any gestational limit on procedures, should be a matter decided by women and their doctors.
“My position is that when politicians, when they try to interfere with these decisions, pose a danger to women, and that they pose a danger to women’s freedom.” Hassan said.
