Republicans are proposing to ban abortions after 15 weeks in the US

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill on Tuesday that would ban abortion across the United States after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The deadline applies only to states where abortion is still legal. In other states, a full ban would be in effect under his proposal.

The proposal immediately sparked outrage within President Joe Biden’s camp.

Graham, a close friend of Donald Trump, said the bill provides a “consensual solution” to the issue. By banning abortion after 15 weeks, the U.S. would be “federalizing with the rest of the world,” the South Carolina senator told a news conference. He repeatedly referred to France, where the term for voluntary termination of pregnancy is 14 weeks. However, the bill would maintain all abortion bans passed by more than a dozen conservative states since the Supreme Court’s ruling in June, many of which do not allow exceptions.

The proposal immediately caused a stir in the Democratic camp. “It would take away the rights of women in all 50 states,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. “Make no mistake, if given the chance, Republicans will pass tougher legislation than this,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.