RALEIGH: News outlets are reporting on the fallout from Congressman Ted Budd’s extreme decision to become an “original co-sponsor” of legislation that would “ban abortions nationwide,” noting that he has a “firm record for opposing all abortions” even in the case of rape, incest, or risk to the mother’s health.
News outlets noted that Congressman Budd has chosen to lead the charge to ban abortion despite the majority of Republicans “distancing themselves from the proposal,” “including Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).”
Meanwhile, Congressman Budd’s extreme and out-of-step commitment to ban abortion is causing him to lose support among voters, including those who voted for President Trump in 2016. A recent focus group reported on by Axios found that “abortion is top of mind for some North Carolina’s Trump-Biden voters.” Axios even quoted one voter from Carteret County saying “I was registered as a Republican and I’m switching to Democrat. It’s something that has upset me greatly” when asked about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Notably, in the focus group, “zero said they would vote for Ted Budd.”
This reporting comes on the heels of a new memo by conservative North Carolina pollster Paul Shumaker who said that “voters are ready to punish the party for restricting access to abortion too much.” POLITICO reported that “the poll found Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd in a deadlocked race, with Beasley taking 42 percent support to 41 percent for Budd.”
Read the highlights here:
Fox 8: National abortion ban co-sponsored by North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd
By Steve Doyle
September 14, 2022
[…]
So joining Graham’s effort were not only his Senate colleague Marco Rubio (R-Florida) but also the Republican from North Carolina who wants a seat in the Senate, Rep. Ted Budd (R-Advance).
Budd’s name is listed as an original co-sponsor to House Resolution 8814, which is titled as an amendment to the U.S. code “to protect pain-capable unborn children, and for other purposes.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) introduced that companion to Graham’s bill on Wednesday, too.
[…]
Budd has a firm record for opposing all abortions and just last week had said he was glad that the abortion rights issue was back with the states after having been a court decision since 1973.
[…]
Although Budd also is one of several Republicans nationally who changed the presence of their pro-life positions on their campaign websites, his issues page is clear about his position and never has wavered:
“Right now, America is tragically one of only seven countries in the world where elective, late-term abortion is legal after 5 months. To change that, Ted sponsored legislation that bans the gruesome procedure used in born-alive abortions and voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which restricts late-term abortion for unborn children who can feel excruciating pain.”
He promises to oppose activist judges, mail-order abortions and to defend Planned Parenthood.
Graham’s bill was hardly popular with all Republicans, including Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who said that, “I think that most members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level.”
[…]
“Congressman Budd will stop at nothing to put himself between women and doctors,” Beasley said in a statement released by her campaign. “His national abortion ban will not only take away our freedom – it will cost North Carolina women their lives, and he owes an explanation to every woman whose life he has now put at risk.”
[…]
Axios: Abortion is top of mind for some North Carolina’s Trump-Biden voters
By Lucille Sherman, Michael Graff
September 15, 2022
Protecting abortion rights was the top issue for North Carolina’s swing voters who participated in our latest Engagious/Schlesinger focus group.
[…]
The big picture: Most were passionate about abortion and gas prices, while offering mixed views on gun control and student loan forgiveness, and ambivalence over the state of healthcare in N.C.
“I was registered as a Republican and I’m switching to Democrat. It’s something that has upset me greatly,” Alana P. of Carteret County said of the Supreme Court’s June decision in the abortion case.
Voter Russell T. of Forsyth County listed protecting a woman’s right to abortion as his top issue, then protecting the Second Amendment and fighting for racial equity. He said he believes the Republican Party has historically been about keeping “less government in your life,” but that changed after the Dobbs ruling.
[…]
8 of 11 saw a picture of Democratic candidate Cheri Beasley and said they could name her, while only 4 of 11 said they could name Republican Rep. Ted Budd after seeing a picture of him.
8 of the 11 said they were very likely to vote in the midterms.
0 said they’d vote for Budd.
[…]
Politico: GOP pollster warns party on total abortion bans
By Elena Schneider
September 14, 2022
A North Carolina-based GOP pollster is issuing a warning to Republican legislators: Voters are ready to punish the party for restricting access to abortion too much.
In a poll of 800 likely North Carolina voters conducted by Paul Shumaker, a longtime GOP consultant who works on congressional and state races across the country, only a quarter of the respondents said that abortions should either not be legal in any circumstance or only be legal if the life of the mother is endangered. Support for abortion restrictions doubles if the procedure is permitted “in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the mother’s life.”
Even among Republicans, the poll found, only 40 percent support a near-total abortion ban.
[…]
In the North Carolina Senate race, the poll found Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd in a deadlocked race, with Beasley taking 42 percent support to 41 percent for Budd. But among voters most interested in voting this November, Budd takes the lead, 44 percent to 42 percent.
[…]
WXII 12: NC Rep. Ted Budd pushes national abortion ban bill
By Staff
September 15, 2022
There are less than eight weeks until the midterm election. Wednesday night, abortion took center stage in North Carolina’s high-profile us senate race.
Republican-nominee Ted Budd is co-sponsoring a national abortion ban bill to make the procedure illegal after 15 weeks, with some exceptions.
[…]
In response, the Beasley campaign said, “As a judge, Cheri spent her career upholding the constitution. She knows that women should have the freedom to make this personal decision without government interference. Meanwhile, Congressman Budd wants to put politicians in between a woman and her doctor. He’s made it clear he won’t hesitate before taking away our constitutional rights and supports a total abortion ban, even in cases of rape, incest and threat to a woman’s health.”
[…]
North Carolina is one of 34 states with a senate seat up for grabs, and one of a handful considered extraordinarily competitive.
Spectrum: White House calls Graham bill ‘blatantly hypocritical’ as GOP split on 15-week ban
By Justin Tasolides and Austin Landis
September 14, 2022
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s fellow Republicans appeared to be largely surprised by his announcement Tuesday of a federal 15-week abortion ban, with many members of his party distancing themselves from the proposal.
[…]
But, McConnell said, “I think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level.”
Members of McConnell’s caucus appeared inclined to agree with his assessment.
[…]
The bill is not without Republican support, however. A House version of the bill was co-sponsored by more than 80 Republicans, including Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., who is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina against Democrat Cheri Beasley.
[…]
“My opponent Congressman Ted Budd co-sponsored the Republican bill to ban abortion nationwide,” said North Carolina Democrat Cheri Beasley, who is running against Rep. Budd for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, wrote on Twitter. “I was taught that actions speak louder than words – and Budd has shown that he WILL lead the charge to take away our personal freedoms as Senator. Full stop.”
[…]
A recent poll from Pew Research Center found that 61% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Original source can be found here.
