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A growing number of House Republicans are involved in an effort to remove language from an annual spending bill restricting access to abortion pills, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The bloc has the numbers to kill legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture, where language about the pills is buried, and further heightens the risk of a government shutdown.
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The language nullifies Food and Drug Administration guidance allowing the drug mifepristone, which is used in medical abortions, to be sold by mail and at retail pharmacies.
“Some states allow [mifepristone] to be mailed, some states don’t, but that should be a decision with the states and the FDA, not Congress,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).
“If that language stays as is, we won’t be able to vote for that appropriations [bill],” said Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.).Well, that’s an interesting development. This is so out of left field for what the party has continually committed to that I thought a comma was missing.
Not that I’m in ideological agreement and don’t see the danger in leaving an issue of health up to a state’s opinion, but I’m forced to respect that they’re standing by the “small government” schtick for once instead of only when it suits them.
Abortion bans are polling extremely poorly, even among Republicans. With the margin in the House as thin as it is, this is way too controversial an issue for them to try to ram through. There aren’t many, but there are a few loosely pro-choice Republicans, and it’s enough to sink measures like this.
“Small government” really has nothing to do with it. As the article states, these are Republicans who represent districts Biden carried handily. They know they’re vulnerable in the next election and are not willing to commit to a policy that will get them absolutely creamed in the general. It’s comforting to know that they realize when their party is going too far and self-preservation causes them to temporarily do the right thing, but self-preservation is the only principle in evidence here.
It’s a shameful tactic, regardless of the topic (which makes it even more shameful in this case). I hope they fail miserably and none of them gets reelected. McCarthy is undemocratic and ruthless. A perfect example of someone who should never be in a position of power, but almost always happens to get there in this country.
