Main Street Republicans test ‘European’ abortion ban

The PAC affiliated with the House GOP’s self-described “pragmatic” wing is testing how Republican voters feel about abortion — and one question stood out. National polling by Republican Main Street Partnership, which works on behalf of the 70+ member House caucus, and Echelon Insights found that 71% of Republican primary voters support a 17-week federal ban described as similar to “many European nations” with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. (European abortion laws vary from between 12- and 24-weeks, but typically have wider exceptions than U.S. bans.)

The Echelon survey, which asked about a variety of other topics, also showed 60% of Republicans surveyed prefer abortion decisions be left to the individual states. The findings have not yet been shared with the caucus, according to a spokeswoman.

Republican debates have largely focused on whether or not to back a national 15-week ban favored by anti-abortion groups, making it notable to see any more moderate alternative even being polled.

The issue has divided the 2024 Republican field as well, with candidates like Mike Pence and Tim Scott calling for federal national ban and Nikki Haley arguing it’s unlikely to ever pass and not worth debating.

E.V Osment, VP of Communications for SBA Pro-Life America, told Semafor that Americans “want compassionate limits on abortion and believe there should be limits between 12-15 weeks.”