Abortion fight may draw Trump's filibuster wrath

By BURGESS EVERETT 10/05/2017 05:13 AM EDT

Senate Republicans want to follow the House and vote to ban abortions after 20 weeks. But doing so would likely reopen an internecine fight over the filibuster with the lower chamber — and the president.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday will reintroduce his bill to ban abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, which failed on the Senate floor two years ago, 54-42. It’s sure to fail again if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brings it up. But holding another unsuccessful vote after House passage Tuesday is not so simple with Donald Trump as president: He’s said he’d sign the bill if it gets to his desk. And he hates that Senate Republicans won’t abandon the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold, which is the only thing stopping the federal ban from becoming law.

Graham has tried to prevail on Trump that killing the filibuster is a poor long-term strategy for conservatives, particularly on abortion. He hasn’t succeeded, Graham said: “I’ve let him know how I feel. I think he has a different view.” Indeed, Trump’s most recent comment on the matter came in a tweet last week: “Get rid of Filibuster Rule!”

“I just disagree with him on the legislative filibuster. It’s frustrating, but you know, we won’t always be in charge, and I think most people in the pro-life community understand that,” Graham said in an interview. “Big change, substantial change is meant to require consensus. And anytime you avoid that consensus, and some do this emotionally, it doesn’t stick.”

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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/05/abortion-trump-senate-filibuster-graham-243465?lo=ap_c1