Trump squashes congressional GOP push for national abortion limits

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Apr 08, 2024 View in browser   By Burgess Everett, Daniella Diaz and Ursula Perano Presented by  With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team After former President Donald Trump’s much-teased announcement that it is “up to the states to do the right thing” on abortion, few GOP senators expressed interest in breaking explicitly with him. | AP DID TRUMP SOLVE THE GOP’s ABORTION PROBLEM – OR PROLONG IT? Four years ago, the vast majority of the Senate GOP voted for a federal abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with Donald Trump in office. On Monday, the former president effectively finished off congressional Republicans’ movement for national abortion restrictions. After Trump’s much-teased announcement that it is “up to the states to do the right thing” on abortion, which also urged Republicans to take his position in order to win this November, few GOP senators expressed interest in breaking explicitly with him. That includes the Republicans who still supported federal limits after Roe v. Wade got overturned. Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), both party leadership members, once backed Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) legislation that would ban abortion after 15 weeks. On Monday, though, Daines and Thune harmonized with Trump. Daines, whose job as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair is to win back the majority, said Trump’s abortion “position is right” – pointing to the presumptive presidential nominee’s position on IVF protections as well as exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Thune, who’s vying for the top Republican job in the Senate next year, said Trump’s comments reflect the views of his colleagues. He added that there’s “an argument” for a national abortion law (in the past he’s said his party needs a defensible position) but that there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to break a filibuster on abortion legislation. The view “by and large among Senate Republicans is that it should be left to the states and the voters. That could change over time. But I think [Trump is] probably reflecting the views of a decent majority of Republicans.” It’s not hard to see why Republicans were keeping any disagreements with Trump to themselves. Trump fileted Graham on Monday afternoon after the South Carolinian issued a statement “respectfully” disagreeing with the former president’s newly iterated abortion stance. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said Trump’s position reflects where “mainstream” Republicans are headed: “Public opinion moves over time. And for now, I think the [former] president arrived at what is a consensus position.” Back in 2020, things were different: 51 Senate Republicans backed a 20-week ban. And just two years ago, 10 Senate Republicans backed Graham’s pre-election move to give the GOP a consensus position after the Supreme Court – led by Trump-tapped justices – ended Roe. At the time, many GOP senators questioned Graham’s move. On Monday it was Trump scolding the South Carolina senator as doing a “great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our country.” In reality, Trump’s position amounts to the absence of a position. Without a national abortion standard, many states are taking far more aggressive action than 20-week or 15-week national bans, which for a time reflected carefully crafted consensus among GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists. Trump’s comments on Monday mean the issue won’t be defused in the November election, essentially ensuring it stays in the spotlight – especially for Democrats. Tommy Garcia, a spokesperson for Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, said it will “make sure voters will hold GOP Senate candidates accountable for their well documented records” opposing abortion rights. Even the few GOP lawmakers who are sticking with pursuing a national ban aren’t predicting success in Congress. To pass an abortion ban, Republicans would need big enough majorities in Congress to either clear a filibuster or change the Senate rules -- which appears improbable at the moment. And even as Trump tanked the political momentum for a national ban, he was also validating long-held concerns by anti-abortion activists about his abortion positions, dating back to his first presidential campaign. But with no path to passing a ban in Congress, and after Democrats used Roe’s demise to gain ground in the 2022 midterms, even backers of Graham’s approach said Trump is simply acknowledging reality. “I would co-sponsor [the legislation] again, but there's not 50 votes up here to do anything. I really do think that the issue’s back to the states, and that's where the debate should be going on,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). — Burgess Everett, Daniella Diaz and Ursula Perano, with an assist from Anthony Adragna   A message from The Alzheimer’s Association: The dawning of a new era for Alzheimer’s treatment, care and support. Significant progress in Alzheimer’s and dementia research and the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Alzheimer’s treatments to slow progression at an early stage has given patients and caregivers hope. But as we enter this new era, we must remove barriers standing between those with dementia and the care they need.   GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, April 8, where Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) presided over the Senate during the eclipse. TESTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT UPDATE Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) told us in late February that he’d support scrapping a lengthy impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Now he’s leaving the door slightly ajar to make a different move. With perhaps the toughest Senate race in America ahead of him, Tester said Monday that he would give the GOP impeachment articles against Mayorkas one last gander before making a decision later this week. He added that “if it's done for policy reasons, we'll give it a good eye.” So we had to ask: Has his position changed on the matter? “No, it has not changed. It’s just that I do want to see the impeachment papers. I was making the assumption then [that] it was all about politics,” Tester said. “And by the way, when it was done a month ago, six weeks ago, we had a good border bill in front of us Republicans had just killed, which was driving me crazy.” Republicans are already hammering him back home over immigration. He dismissed the idea that those attacks would drive his decision-making this week, when he likely has to vote on whether to hold a Senate trial of Mayorkas: “They're gonna do it regardless. They're gonna try to make me into something I’m not.” — Burgess Everett   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     THIS AIN’T TEXAS, AIN’T TOTALITY Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wears protective glasses as he views a solar eclipse from his balcony at the U.S. Capitol April 8, 2024. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | AP Senators — they’re just like us. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was the first lawmaker we saw exit the Capitol on Monday to start watching the solar eclipse on the East Front plaza, nearly an hour before it peaked around 3:20 p.m. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) were also spotted on the East Front among hundreds of staff, press and regular Washington citizens who peered up at the celestial event and handed around protective glasses to share. Hundreds of House staff poured into the park behind Cannon to watch. Duty calls: Why didn’t Durbin stay in his home state to check out the total eclipse that was projected in Southern Illinois? “We’ve got a roll-call vote,” he said. (On a Nebraska judicial nominee.) Dozens more lawmakers from both parties got a little closer to the eclipse … a few stories up on the Senate Rules Committee’s balcony, where Chair Amy Klobuchar’s (D-Minn.) team captured the scene. Ohio’s vulnerable Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) stayed home where he could see the eclipse in totality. Brown also welcomed NASA chief (and former Senate colleague) Bill Nelson for a big event highlighting Ohio’s aerospace industry. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) won our sympathy for his eclipse-watching predicament: His district sits in the path of totality, but also got hit with pouring rain Monday afternoon. His video standing in the storm with his eclipse glasses on made us laugh. Eclipse surprise: We didn’t see Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) hyping that the No. 1 producer of eclipse glasses is located in his district! — Katherine Tully-McManus   A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:   CARDIN’S KEY BRIDGE REBUILD UPDATE  As they return to Washington, Maryland’s members are ramping up their push for federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Key Bridge after its devastating collapse last month. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) told Inside Congress on Monday that he expects to address the topic alongside Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) during Tuesday’s weekly Democratic caucus lunch. “We believe there are pools of dollars available for the replacement bridge. I don't think that's the issue,” Cardin said. “There are some authorities that need to be adjusted. So we'll probably need some legislation. And that’s what we’re going to go over this week.” Some Republicans are already insisting that any new federal spending to restore the bridge should be offset by cuts elsewhere or tied to other conservative policy priorities, but Cardin pushed back on that and called for a bipartisan approach. “This is a national priority. It is affecting the economy of America,” Cardin said. The timing for any formal dollar amount requested to help restore the bridge is still up in the air as assessments continue on the ground. — Ursula Perano   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      HUDDLE HOTDISH We love French Hill’s eclipse outfit. Your newsletter hosts were looking for eclipse glasses today… We wish our colleague Nicholas Wu a happy birthday today! This is a vibe.   A message from The Alzheimer’s Association: How can we relieve the burden of Alzheimer's and dementia on individuals, caregivers, and the nation's health care system? As progress continues in Alzheimer’s and dementia care and treatment, we must increase our focus on detection and diagnosis, expanding and improving access for people in rural and medically underserved areas, increasing research funding, and investing in our dementia infrastructure. This will accelerate innovation, leading to new, more accessible treatments and means of prevention for the nearly 7 million Americans living with the disease. It’s time to renew our nation’s commitment to fighting Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Learn more.   QUICK LINKS  Speaker Johnson’s job is on the line as the House returns, from Marianna Sotomayor at The Washington Post The lawmakers who will decide Mike Johnson’s fate, from Katherine Tully-McManus J Street Seeks a Middle Path on Gaza. Is That Possible Anymore? From Marc Tracy at The New York Times Inside the Freedom Caucus and Trump’s Newly Frosty Relationship, from Reese Gorman at The Daily Beast TRANSITIONS  Taylor Bradley is now comms director for Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.). She previously was with Prosek Partners and is a James Lankford and Robert Aderholt alum. Elise LaFleur Rabalais is now an associate with Harris, DeVille, and Associates. She most recently was a legislative correspondent for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and is a Steve Scalise alum. David Planning has joined Cornerstone Government Affairs. He was previously floor director to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL 9:30 a.m. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to receive testimony on the Department of Defense’s fiscal 2025 budget request, with testimony from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. (216 Hart) 10 a.m. Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) will host a press conference to Introduce FAIR MAPS Act. (House Triangle) 4 p.m. House Rules Committee meets to consider the FISA bill, a resolution denouncing the Biden administration’s immigration policies; and a resolution opposing efforts to place one-sided pressure on Israel with respect to Gaza. (H-313 Capitol) TRIVIA FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Ben Howard was the first to correctly guess that Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is the current U.S. senator who holds the record for the most appearances by a female member of Congress in the ACLI Capital Challenge (17). TODAY’S QUESTION, from Ben: What prompted moving the presidential retreat to its current location in the Catoctin Mountains? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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