Georgia Senate Candidate and former football star Herschel Walker has expressed his support of a total abortion ban in the state, saying that there is no exception to the rule, including rape or difficulties with the mother's health.
The Republican candidate's remarks came during his talk to reporters after a campaign speech on Wednesday. The former athlete said, "There's no exception in my mind. Like I say, I believe in life. I believe in life."
Herschel Walker on Abortion
After receiving backlash for his controversial remarks, Walker said that he was pro-life and argued that he was not going to apologize. The Senate candidate's words came as Georgia's 2022 primary is set for Tuesday and he is expected to secure the Republican nomination. He will then face off against Sen. Raphael Warnock in November's midterm elections.
In recent weeks, the topic of abortion has become a controversial issue that has gained traction after a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion. The document aims to overturn Roe v. Wade and it was Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito who penned the draft majority opinion, as per Yahoo News.
The decision aims to reject the 1973 Roe v. Wade that guarantees federal constitutional protections of abortion rights. In the draft, Alito said that the decision was "egregiously wrong from the start." He noted that the highest court held that Roe and Casey must be overruled and argued that it was time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives.
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However, Democrats are fighting back against the planned overturn of Roe v. Wade, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying that Republicans are passing the most extreme of laws across the country. He said that the GOP was attempting to use the Supreme Court to turn back the clock to a time when women, people of color, and LGBTQ people were considered second-class citizens.
According to Business Insider, Congressional Democrats have also attempted to pass a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade. However, the bill was blocked in the Senate by Republicans and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The overturning of the decision would mean that states have individual authority on laws regarding abortion.
Overturning Roe v. Wade
Walker's comments on abortion follow an endorsement from National Right to Life, with the organization's president, Carol Tobias, saying that the candidate will be a most effective champion for unborn babies and their mothers in Washington. He noted that Walker has demonstrated the passion and perseverance it takes to win the critically important Georgia Senate race.
Tobias added that Georgia deserved a pro-life senator such as Walker who he said was committed to building a culture of life. The organization's president said that the former athlete's stance for life was in contrast to Warnock who supported abortion for any reason until birth.
Georgia is known to be one of several states that have passed stringent abortion restrictions that currently could not pass constitutional muster. However, if the Supreme Court's decision takes effect, the state would ban abortion until around six weeks, with exceptions for pregnancies that cannot come to term, that resulted from rape or incest, or that must be ended because of a medical emergency, the New York Times reported.
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