Governor Youngkin has officially announced his push for a 15-week abortion ban, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
As reported by the Daily Wire, during an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Youngkin explained his position on what he called a “remarkable moment for us.”
“Think about it, this was a state… that just 18 months ago was talking about enabling abortion all the way up through and including birth,” he said. “And now we’re able to talk about a 15-week pain threshold bill where a baby feels pain. This is a remarkable moment for us. And it’s an opportunity, I’m not going to let go.”
GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin wouldn't say if he would ever pursue a total ban on abortion, but has proposed a 15-week ban.
"I believe we can get a 15-week pain threshold bill done in Virginia for the first time…It's an opportunity I'm not going to let go." pic.twitter.com/yq4HR9Nh1j
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 10, 2022
Youngkin has called for a bipartisan group of lawmakers to help develop the state’s new bill to limit abortions.
“This in Virginia is a debate that we are going to run to the Supreme Court’s decision. I agree that this is a decision for states to make by elected officials, by the citizens of Virginia, and that’s why, right out of the box, I called for a 15-week pain threshold bill to be formed and crafted by a bipartisan group of legislators,” the governor said during the interview.
Youngkin also referred to the opportunity as a “moment” for the country to address the issue of life in the womb.
“I think this is what it’s all about… this is a moment for our country to have a discussion around this and each state will decide something different,” he added. “And I think that’s the real value of the Supreme Court’s decision.”
The Virginia conservative also faced questions regarding his actions attempting to ban the teaching of critical race theory and other “divisive” concepts in schools.
“One of the things we have to do is teach all of our history, but we shouldn’t play privilege bingo with children,” Youngkin answered.
On his actions to try and ban the teaching of critical race theory and "divisive concepts," GOP Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says:
"One of the things we have to do is teach all of our history, but we shouldn't play privilege bingo with children." pic.twitter.com/NrsuAocS0F
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 10, 2022
At the end of the interview, host Robert Costa asked Youngkin if he was mulling a presidential run, however he continues to deny these rumors, believeing he still has a lot of work to be done in Virginia.
“That’s not a decision that we have even begun to undertake. The reality of course is I’ve been in – I’ve been governor of Virginia for six months, we’ve got an extraordinary amount done: $4 billion tax cuts, a record budget for education, $400 million into law enforcement to raise salaries and keep our community safe. This is where I’m focused,” Youngkin said.
Youngkin has already set in motion a lot of the process that would see his 15-week ban passed into law. He has already put together a team of Republican lawmakers including delegates Kathy Byron and Margaret Ransone, and senators Siobhan Dunnavant and Stephen Newman to begin the drafting process of the bill. While some state officials, such as Bob Good (R-VA-05) have been calling for an outright ban, Youngkin and leading pro-life lobbyist organization The Family Foundation said that they’d push for a 15-week pain threshold bill, due to the politically difficult environment in the General Assembly.