- I am pro-choice in the first trimester and pro-life in the last trimester with the exception of the pregnancy being harmful to the life of the mother
- I am open to bringing both sides together to facilitate a mutually agreeable compromise to eliminate the possibility of civil strife in the future
The issue of abortion is one of the most sensitive topics for many voters. Like most Americans, I am pro-choice in the early stages of pregnancy and pro-life in the late stages of pregnancy. Banning late term abortions, with the exception of when the mother’s life is at risk should not be controversial as even Roe v. Wade did not grant a right to an abortion in the last trimester, except for when the mother’s life was at risk.
Let’s be honest, the passionate activists on both sides believe the other side to be supporting the “moral equivalent of slavery.” Most Americans in the middle don’t view it this way and would like a broad compromise that accommodates both sides.
If you are pro-choice, I understand that compromise is difficult, especially given how the legal landscape has shifted since Dobbs. But I believe the pro-choice side can still secure a strong, durable outcome here. If you are pro-life, I respect your belief that human life, in the morally significant sense that sets it apart from all other forms of life, begins at conception. But that’s a theological claim, not a scientific one. Science can confirm biological facts, but it can’t answer moral questions. Because it’s a matter of faith, I believe abortion in early pregnancy is fundamentally a religious liberty issue. Why should a Jewish woman, Muslim woman, Hindu woman, or liberal Christian woman be forced into the theological opinion of conservative Christians? How is that fair?
For the sake of the unity of our nation, I am open to two potential compromises.
- A guaranteed right for a woman to have an instant abortion on demand (no waiting periods, no bureaucracy, etc.) within the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
- A federal ban on abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy with exceptions such as the pregnancy being harmful to the life of the mother.
- No woman should be criminalized for any harm that happens to her fetus during a pregnancy.
- A guaranteed right for a woman to have an instant abortion on demand (no waiting periods, no bureaucracy, etc.) within the first 9 weeks of pregnancy.
- An exclusively States Rights issue in weeks 9-19. After week 9, states would be free to ban abortion completely without any exceptions or permit abortion completely without any restrictions.
- A federal ban on abortion after the 19th week of pregnancy with exceptions such as the pregnancy being harmful to the life of the mother.
- No woman should be criminalized for any harm that happens to her fetus during a pregnancy.
The pro-life side might counter with leaving the issue of abortion completely to the states. Right now they don’t believe that rather they believe in “having your cake and eating it too.” For example, those in the pro-life movement that are pushing for a federal ban on abortion at 15 weeks also support laws of state legislatures completely banning abortion. If they are actually serious about the compromise of leaving the issue completely to the states, (i.e. there would be a federal law that would explicitly state that the issue of abortion is exclusively left to the states) that would be a major concession for many on the pro-choice side, but it might be worth considering. However, there is currently no broad support among the pro-life movement for such a bill.
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