Could a National Abortion Ban Save Republicans?

<p>With the midterm elections a few weeks away, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, forwarded a plan to save his party from the growing backlash over abortion.</p><p>But the proposal — a federal ban on almost all terminations after 15 weeks — has served mostly to expose the division among Republicans about the issue.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/lisa-lerer?smid=pc-thedaily">Lisa Lerer</a>, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.</p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Mr. Graham’s effort has reignited debate on an issue that Republicans have<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/us/politics/lindsey-graham-abortion.html"> worked to confront before midterm elections</a> in which abortion rights have become a potent issue.</li><li>The rejection of Mr. Graham’s bill was the latest misfire in<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/us/politics/republicans-abortion-national-ban.html"> the party’s struggle to unite behind a clear strategy</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>