Republican Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who is expected to announce a presidential run this week, believes the issue of abortion should be left up to the states, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview.
Burgum sign strictly law in late April, abortion was banned after the sixth week of pregnancy with limited exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies. As questions about a federal abortion ban continue to arise among Republicans, Burgum said he supports the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which returned the power to restrict abortions back to the states, said he told DCNF in an interview.
“I believe in the Dobbs decision, and the Dobbs decision leaves it up to the states,” Burgum said. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.”
Asked if he would sign a federal abortion ban if he were president, Burgum said he would prefer not to comment on hypothetical legislation, because “100 things” could change before the bill hits his desk, he said. in DCNF. The governor also argued that the nationwide abortion restriction is largely hypothetical given the improbability of having enough Republican votes in the Senate to pass it.
The abortion ban signed by Burgum in North Dakota would only allow abortions for rape and incest up to the sixth week of pregnancy, however, the exception for medical emergencies would continue throughout the pregnancy, according in the text of the bill. The law also carves out an exception for individuals who assist physicians without knowing that the physician is performing an abortion in violation of this law.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed similar legislation in mid-April, banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy through the Heartbeat Protection Act. DeSantis, who? said there is a “role” for the federal government in restricting abortions following his presidential announcement, lowering the state’s abortion restriction from 15 weeks of pregnancy, with the bill allowing exceptions in cases of rape, incest , human trafficking or when the mother’s life is in danger.
Former President Donald Trump criticized DeSantis’ abortion ban for being “too cruel,” and so on said he supported the Dobbs decision to leave abortion up to the states and not as a federal issue, for which he was criticized by pro-life organizations. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said his abortion policy is to seek “national consensus” on the subject, and acknowledges that strict abortion bans like those in red states will never pass at the federal level.
Along with North Dakota, there are 11 other states that currently ban abortion as early as six weeks, including Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Iowa, Idaho and Ohio, according in Pro-Choice America.
Burgum notably vetoed several laws involving social issues, such as school choice bill in late April that would have provided $10 million in private school vouchers. The governor also vetoed a bill which can prevent teachers from referring to students by pronouns that do not correspond to their gender, as well as law in 2021 that would bar biological males from competing in women’s sports, both of which he signed into law.
In 2020, he condemned the North Dakota Republican Party for a policy statement that included resolutions critical of the LGBT community, which Burgum said were “offensive and divisive.” The state GOP later apologize for their statements, in which they did not approve the law that would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Burgum believes that some of these “culture war” issues should be decided on a state-by-state basis, and at the local level if possible, to avoid government overreach, he told DCNF. . The governor argued that while the country is “diverse,” Americans have shared interests regarding the economy, energy policy and national security, but most social issues should not be controlled by the federal government.
“I think there are many examples of what needs to be done, needs to be done, needs to be talked about in that relationship with every American, and so that’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to continue to focus on it,” Burgum said. “I believe with the limited role of the federal government, I believe that the best decisions are made close to the people, and with some of these decisions that people are interested in, let those discussions happen in school boards and school boards of the library.”
LifeNews Note: Mary Lou Masters writes for the Daily Caller. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any eligible news publisher who can provide a large audience.
