Pro-life groups emphasize importance of midterms

Pro-life bills continue to flounder in the U.S. Senate, but they’re not alone. Few bills on any topic have passed the chamber this session.

Tom McClusky, a pro-life analyst, applauded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to cancel the chamber’s summer recess, giving lawmakers a chance to get something done. The House has handed over 400 bills senators have yet to take up.

Two of those House bills would implement significant pro-life measures—the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, legislation even stronger than the Hyde amendment, and the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Senate sponsors have introduced both, but committee chairs have not scheduled hearings for them.

Filibusters and a slim Republican majority have kept overall productivity low in the upper chamber. According to C-SPAN, which tracks legislative activity in both chambers, the Senate last year spent 191 days in session and took only 325 roll call votes. That’s in contrast to the House, which spent 189 days in session and voted 710 times.

But even with all the time in the world, strong pro-life measures aren’t likely to make it through this Senate without using the nuclear option. In January, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act failed to get the necessary 60 votes to pass. Although three Democrats voted for the bill, Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska did not, leaving it with only 51 votes.

Recognizing the current Senate climate, some pro-life groups are focusing efforts on the midterm elections. Mallory Quigley, spokeswoman for the Susan B. Anthony List, noted the Senate could have at least one Supreme Court vacancy to fill in the next few years, making this year’s election especially important.

“We have a pro-life president committed to nominating pro-life Supreme Court justices, but we also need a Senate that can confirm those nominees,” Quigley told me. “If we fail to elect a pro-life majority in the Senate in November, we may lose the best chance we have had since Roe v. Wade to put justices in place who would overturn that decision.”

Republicans only have 51 Senate seats now and can only count on 46 as “safe” (or not up for election) in the November midterms, according to RealClearPolitics. Experts estimate that between seven and eight seats up for election are toss-ups with a high chance of flipping. Five of those are currently held by vulnerable Democrats, including Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.

In other words, even if Republicans retain every likely GOP seat and pick up every possible toss-up, they’ll still only have 56 votes—not enough to pass a bill without bipartisan support.

One January poll found that 51 percent of all Americans consider themselves pro-choice. But most, including 61 percent of Democrats, still want significant restrictions on abortion—either not allowing it after the first trimester, only allowing it in cases of rape or incest, or outlawing it completely.

With such widespread support for unborn children, candidates’ pro-life positions could have a significant effect on the midterm outcome—and the future of pro-life legislation.

A tale of two photos

President Donald Trump continues to change the perception of what it means to be an American ally, and two photos from his trip around the world this week captured the difference.

In the first, taken at the G-7 summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel leans over a table toward Trump, flanked by other world leaders, in apparent disbelief at something the American president said. Trump—the only seated subject—crosses his arms, seeming pleased with himself for defying the crowd.

Associated Press/Photo by Jesco Denzel/German Federal Government

In the second, Trump sits across from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, giving the thumbs-up to a man previous U.S. presidents refused to meet for fear of legitimizing his regime. Kim grins back.

Associated Press/Photo by Evan Vucci

Trump loves to do the unexpected, using the element of surprise both on Twitter and in person to get what he wants. In the case of the G-7, tariff disputes led to Trump’s early departure from the summit and a subsequent social media spat with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump then flew straight to Singapore for his historic meeting with Kim.

The G-7, or “Group of Seven,” has traditionally been a group of non-communist allies that met informally to address economic issues. (Russia’s dismissal in 2014 knocked it down from the G-8.) The strongest, most highly developed democracies in the world comprise the exclusive club.

A Toronto Star columnist pointed out the bizarre inconsistency of praising an executioner and condemning a close friend, comparing dealing with Trump to “negotiating with a high speed squash ball.”

Michael Gerson, a former adviser and speechwriter to President George W. Bush, called Trump’s stance unlike anything seen in the modern era.

“This is perhaps the largest foreign policy crisis of our time: a U.S president who has lost the ability to distinguish friends from enemies,” Gerson wrote. “Our traditional friends are attacked as freeloaders and cheats. Our real enemies are praised and cultivated.” —L.F.

McCabe sues Justice Department

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the Justice Department repeatedly refused to provide him documents related to his recent firing. The complaint filed on McCabe’s behalf in federal court in Washington, D.C., claimed the Justice Department publicly defended his termination but failed to identify the policies and procedures it followed before dismissing him.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired McCabe on March 16, two days before his scheduled retirement, on the recommendation of FBI and Justice Department officials. McCabe joined the FBI in 1996 and became the bureau’s acting leader following the May 2017 firing of former Director James Comey. McCabe’s firing followed allegations he intentionally misled investigators during the probe of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of state. McCabe has denied the allegations. —Kiley Crossland

Pimp wins GOP primary

Self-proclaimed pimp Dennis Hof won his Republican primary for the Nevada state legislature on Tuesday. Hof owns six legal brothels in Nevada and starred in the HBO adult realty series Cathouse. Brothels are legal in seven Nevada counties. A Donald Trump fan, Hof wrote a 2015 book called The Art of the Pimp and calls himself the “Trump of Pahrump.” He defeated a three-term lawmaker, hospital executive James Oscarson. He likely will be the favored candidate in his Republican-leaning district when he faces Democrat Lesia Ramanov in November.

But the election could also mean less business: Voters in Lyon County, where Hof owns four brothels, will decide whether to close them down. Activists in Nye County, where Hof owns two more brothels, are trying to get a similar measure on the ballot. —K.C.

Splitting up

An initiative to split California into three states could make it on the November ballot if officials approve a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures. The proposal, championed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Timothy Draper, would divide the country’s most populous state into Northern California, Southern California, and a narrow strip along the central coast called just plain California. Secretary of State Alex Padilla said a first look at the petition showed it likely had enough valid signatures to get it on the ballot in November. Even if voters approve it, the initiative would still require the approval of the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. —Lynde Langdon