How the GOP can stop alienating women over abortion

The Republican Party’s capture of American women’s attention is once again at risk of sending the national debate on reproductive health out of control and endangering the party in the November election.

This issue has been thrust back into the center of national debate. judgment The conservative-controlled Alabama Supreme Court has denied Alabamians who have worked hard (and spent millions of dollars) to have children the chance to become parents, and shut down IVF clinics in the state. threatened to shut down.

The ruling was reminiscent of the one handed down late last year against Kate Cox, a mother of two from Texas. was ultimately rejected The Texas Supreme Court has allowed her to terminate a non-viable pregnancy in her home state.

The Supreme Courts of Alabama and Texas have ruled against numerous would-be parents in those states. But this goes beyond two state court decisions. Countless American women have been frustrated by conservative movements and Republicans who don’t know how to talk about real medical concerns, much less offer solutions.

This has been a consistent problem for many years, but it has significantly worsened following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Roe’s compromise, which lasted half a century, was far from perfect. For example, many read it as potentially condoning abortion up to the moment of birth. extreme leftist lawmaker Used to loosen restrictions on late-term abortions (which most Americans do) be against).

But in the wake of Law’s death, the conversation is quickly moving toward extremes.Debate over Ohio’s abortion referendum deformed This led to a major Democratic effort to rewrite the state constitution. At the other end of the spectrum, in Texas, Kate Cox has become the human face of policies that restrict even the heartbreaking decision to end a non-viable and potentially dangerous pregnancy.

These human stories are at risk of being lost in this increasingly fractious debate. At its best, the pro-life movement, a mainstay of the American Conservative Union for decades, has been animated by compassion. The more conservatives could recalibrate our side of the conversation about women’s health care to one rooted in compassion and traditional respect for privacy and individual rights and pro-family attitudes, the better. It will reach more Americans and reduce feelings of alienation.

Conservative women are working to steer this conversation in a more productive direction.Commentator Ann Coulter wrote frankly: “The pro-life movement has gone from sympathy for children to cruelty to mothers (and children).” Nikki Haley prompted Deeper compassion and humanization of the abortion debate in campaigning. Former Trump administration official Kellyanne Conway has returned to her roots as a pollster. give advice Congressional Republicans called for a focus on improving access to contraception. Rep. Yong Kim (R-CA) sponsored law Providing more resources for mothers and babies facing substance abuse disorders.

Many conservative men also understand the importance of these issues.Earlier this year, Congressman Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) sponsored A bill to expand postpartum care for new mothers. And former President Donald Trump I thought about it privately It supports the idea of ​​a 16-week ban on elective abortions and strong protections for three traditional exceptions: rape, incest, and saving the mother’s life. The New York Times reported that President Trump has rejected vice presidential candidates who do not support the “three exceptions,” telling his advisers that “in that position, Republicans will continue to lose elections.” He’s right.

Conservatives trying to take back control of the issue don’t expect their efforts to get much recognition from Democrats or a media ecosystem bent on further polarizing votes and clicks.Republican-led Alabama Legislature quick movements The issue of enacting IVF protection legislation was not as heavily addressed as in the first court decision. But this turmoil only makes it further clear that the current post-law situation isn’t working out for everyone.that It had no effect The goal is to reduce abortions nationwide, but that puts Americans like Kate Cox and IVF patients in Alabama in an impossible position.

It’s true that if Republicans stick to extreme policies, they risk alienating voters in the next election, and Democrats are making that clear. intend Hold a referendum on abortion. But voting is not the only issue at stake here. The United States continues to lag woefully behind other developed countries in providing maternal care. Representative Kim, chair of the Maternity Care Caucus, said: It pointed out“Maternal mortality rates in the United States were already much higher compared to other countries, and now we have evidence that the situation for American women is getting even worse. This is unacceptable.”

Conservatives have a chance to regain control of the abortion issue by compassionately focusing on all aspects of women’s health care, rather than the most specific and polarizing aspects of the debate. To do anything less would be a disservice to half the American population we claim to serve.

Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership and founder of Women2Women.