Rep. Nancy Mace says her party’s stance on abortion has become too “extreme.” : NPR

Representative Nancy Mace speaks to reporters as she leaves the United States Capitol on January 27, 2023.

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Representative Nancy Mace speaks to reporters as she leaves the United States Capitol on January 27, 2023.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Welcome to the NPR series where we shine a light on the people and things that make headlines – and the stories behind them.

Rep. Nancy Mace is unconvinced about some of the positions taken by her party. And she’s already facing a backlash for it.

Who is she? Nancy Mace is a congresswoman from South Carolina and a Republican.

• A native of South Carolina in the Lowcountry region, she was elected to represent the state’s first congressional district in 2021.
• According to her website, Mace’s first job was as a Waffle House waitress, and she eventually became the first woman to graduate from the Corps of Cadets program at the Citadel, a military college in South Carolina.
• Her tenure has focused on party-aligned issues like inflation, taxes, the Second Amendment, the southern border, and the current culture wars over gender identity and inclusivity.

What is the problem ? While Mace agrees with many GOP members on other issues, reproductive health and action against mass shootings have become a point of contention.

• Mace, who identifies as pro-life, has been a strong advocate for the right to choose as more GOP lawmakers push forward with bills that continue to restrict abortion access across the country. country, calling the efforts “extreme” and pointing out that the unpopular moves could alienate potential voters and put people with wombs at risk.
• During an appearance on CNN earlier in April, Mace called on the FDA to ignore the court’s decision suspending mifepristone’s approval.
• She also separately called on members of her party to take more action in response to the rising rate of mass shootings, sharing that she and her own children were in the vicinity of the Isle of Palms shooting that took place. earlier this month.
• Mace was also one of the few GOP members to speak out against former President Donald Trump’s possible role on Jan. 6, though that stance has diminished over time.

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What are people saying?

Mace on abortion while appearing on CNN:

This is an FDA approved drug. I support the use of FDA approved drugs, even if we disagree. It’s not for us to decide as legislators or as a justice system that – whether or not this is the right drug to use or not. It’s an issue that Republicans have been largely on the wrong side of. For the past nine months we haven’t been compassionate towards women, and that’s one of those issues that I’ve tried to lead on as a ‘pro-life’ person that has just a little common sense.

Everyone is welcome to give their opinion. I represent a very purple district that is really a beacon for the rest of the country. And I can tell you that far more than the vast majority of 60-70% of Americans will disagree with this decision. And there are a lot of pro-life people who, even though they’re pro-life, don’t want the government to intervene so drastically, and the FDA has a rigorous process.

And in another TV appearance:

We have 14 counties in South Carolina that don’t have a single OBGYN doctor. So if we’re going to ban abortion, what are we doing to make sure women have access to birth control?

Mass on gun control during an appearance on FOX News:

With every mass shooting, there is only silence, and prayers are offered, Easter baskets are offered, but no real solutions,

Republicans can no longer be silent on this issue. And it’s not the second amendment. There are many things we can do besides offering prayers and silence,

These kind of common sense things are all things that every American on either side of the aisle can support, but yet every time there’s a mass shooting, and they increase every year, every week, we’re not saying Nothing. We want to bury our heads in the sand and hope it goes away. But guess what? It’s not going away.

So what now?

• Earlier this week, pro-life protesters rallied outside Mace’s South Carolina offices, calling on him to resign over his comments about the abortion drug decision.
• Mace called for tougher background checks when buying firearms in addition to improved warning systems.
• Importantly, Mace has also devoted much of its “women’s rights” platform to “women in sport,” co-sponsoring the Protection of Women and Girls in Sport Act, which seeks to prohibit women and transgender girls to participate in women’s and girls’ school sports.

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