• Rep. Nancy Mace said she thinks extreme abortion restrictions could hurt the GOP.
  • Mace said Republicans should support exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the mother.
  • "'Handmaid's Tale' was not supposed to be a roadmap," she said.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace blasted restrictive abortion laws being pushed in red states across the US, saying she thinks they could hurt the GOP in the midterms.

The South Carolina representative visited NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Mace, who identifies as pro-life, called out what she considers extreme policies on both the left and the right on the issue of abortion. She noted proposals that could ban the word "abortion" on websites or make it illegal for people to travel out of state for the procedure.

"There are folks, like in my state, that want to ban abortion for women who are victims of rape and girls who are victims of incest," she said.

"Both sides have these extremities where the vast majority of people just are not there right now, and there has to be a place for the center on this very emotional issue," she said. Mace said thinks state lawmakers and Congress could instead work on bills that most Americans could get behind, like gestational limits.

Mace said some rape exception laws — including those in which the victim is required to report their rape to police —are too extreme.

"I was raped when I was 16 and it took me a week to tell my mother. By that time, any evidence would've been gone," she said, adding there are also right to privacy concerns. "I can't tell you how traumatic that event was in my life."

"I just can't even imagine a world where you're a teenage girl and have to report those things. 'Handmaid's Tale' was not supposed to be a roadmap," Mace said.

 

Host Chuck Todd asked Mace if she thinks it would be a problem if the GOP becomes "the party of abortion bans."

"I am staunchly pro-life. I have a 100% pro-life voting record. I do think that it will be an issue in November if we're not moderating ourselves," she said, adding she thinks the GOP should support legislation that includes exceptions for rape, incest, and risk to the mother's life.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, reports have suggested Republicans are worried the reversal of the landmark ruling and subsequent abortion bans could impact elections in November.

After voters in Kansas — a solidly red state that overwhelmingly voted for President Donald Trump in 2020 — resoundingly rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure with high voter turnout last week, political consultants are scrambling to understand what it may mean for the midterms. 

Read the original article on Business Insider