Hutchinson: National Abortion Ban ‘Inconsistent’ with GOP State’s Rights Position

Governor Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that a national abortion ban mentioned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is “inconsistent” with a state’s rights position.

Anchor Martha Raddatz said, “Governor, you tweeted you hope the court returns to authority to the states. Mitch McConnell told USA Today it is possible Republicans would pursue a national ban. Would you oppose that?”

Hutchinson said, “I think it’s inconsistent with what we’ve been fighting for four decades, which is that we wanted the Roe v. Wade reversed and the authority to return to the states. And so, as a matter of principle, that’s where it should be.”

He continued, “If you look at a constitutional or a national standard that goes against the trust of the states having prerogative, and secondly, I think there’s some constitutional issues with a national standard as well as to one is the authority of the Constitution to enact that.”

Hutchinson added, “If the court reverses Roe v. Wade, they’re saying that the Constitution does not provide that, which returns it to the states. And to me, that makes sense under the Constitution. And that’s where the vigorous debate is going to be. That is where we’re going to face a lot of concerns on the compassion side. And the state are going to make different determinations of it, but the people are going to express to their representative exactly the direction they want to go. And to me, that makes sense, and I think it makes sense under our Constitution.”

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