Haley says state abortion rules are “not realistic” given the deadlock in the Senate

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said she will not push for federal abortion rules because it is an “unrealistic” goal for the next president and that promising progress with Congress on this controversial issue is not “honest” to the American people .

In a CBS interview on Sunday, Haley was asked if she would support federal legislation allowing abortions in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, given the legislation she signed into law in 2016 as South Carolina’s governor. Haley, who is anti-abortion, said it will be more difficult to get consensus in Congress than it has been to find consensus within states.

“For a national standard, I think we have to tell the truth to the American people,” she said. “To reach a national standard, you would need a majority in the House of Representatives, 60 votes in the Senate and a President. “We haven’t had 60 pro-life senators in 100 years,” Haley said.

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“So the idea that a Republican president could ban all abortions is not honest to the American people any more than a Democratic president could ban these pro-life laws in the States.” So let’s be honest with the American people and say we: Let’s find a national consensus,” she added.

“Let’s agree to end late abortion. Let’s agree that we need more adoptions. We agree that we need accessible contraception. We should agree that mothers shouldn’t be jailed or, you know, given the death penalty for abortions,” she continued.

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Regardless of everyone’s personal opinion on abortion, Haley said there is still no sign that the Senate has come close to consensus.

“I will not lie to the American people. If we don’t get 60 votes in the Senate, nothing will happen. On both the Republican and Democratic sides, we’re nowhere near that. Why try to divide people further?” said Haley.

“Why not talk about trying to save as many babies as possible and supporting as many mothers as possible? I think the media tried to split them by saying we had to decide certain weeks. In states, yes. That’s not realistic at the federal level. It’s not about being honest with the American people,” she said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., introduced legislation last year that would allow abortions during the first 15 weeks of pregnancy after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and remanded the abortion issue back to the states for decision.

Graham faced bipartisan criticism for his bill, but defended his position that federal rules would bring the United States into line with European countries that allow abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

“Chuck Schumer passed legislation a few months ago that, like China and North Korea, would allow on-demand abortion up to the point of birth for the entire country,” Graham said on Fox News last year.

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“What did I do in response to that? I said at 15 weeks when the baby can feel pain and suck his thumb that we will ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest or maternal life, we are talking almost four months gestation. This puts us in line with France, which is 12 weeks. Germany, England is in the 14th week. Only in Washington is it extreme to save the baby from an agonizing death at 15 weeks,” Graham said.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, The president of the largest pro-life lobbying firm, Susan B. Anthony, president of Pro-Life America, said it was “unacceptable” to reject the idea of ​​federal abortion rules.

“When Ambassador Haley speaks about a national consensus on late-stage abortion, we agree. The consensus already exists. Polls show that 72% of Americans would like to limit abortions by at least 15 weeks when the unborn child may experience excruciating pain,” Dannenfelser said.

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“The pro-life movement must have a candidate who will boldly champion that consensus and who will work tirelessly as president to garner the necessary votes in Congress. “To dismiss this task as unrealistic is unacceptable,” she said.

Fox News Digital’s Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.