Sen. Ron Johnson opposes new Alabama law banning abortion after six weeks

Patrick Marley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sen. Ron Johnson speaks during an interview Saturday at the state GOP convention in Oshkosh.

OSHKOSH - U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Saturday he opposes Alabama's new law aimed at eliminating almost all abortions and wasn't ready to get behind legislation that would ban the practice after six weeks.

Instead, the Republican from Oshkosh said he would like to impose a national ban on abortion after 20 weeks using federal legislation similar to laws in Wisconsin and some other states.

Johnson told reporters he wished the U.S. Supreme Court had not legalized abortion in 1973 in the Roe v. Wade case, saying the issue should have been left for state legislators and voters to decide. 

"We should have let that process play out democratically, state by state," Johnson said. "The fact of the matter is, you allow it that way, if you don’t like the result in your state that you currently reside in, you can move. 

"But had that played out state by state, my guess, we would have pretty much a uniform standard, and we’d protect life in the womb of a mother far earlier than we do now." 

He acknowledged that if it had been left up to the states, there might be dramatically different abortion laws around the country.

"I would prefer that result to what we have right now," Johnson said. 

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State Rep. Chris Taylor, a Madison Democrat, said Johnson's remarks show disregard for the health and lives of women.

"It’s clear that Republican politicians are intent on banning abortion in every instance, even in tragic circumstances when wanted pregnancies go terribly wrong," she said. 

Johnson made his comments to reporters during the state Republican Party's annual convention at the Best Western Hotel and Convention Center in Oshkosh. As the only Republican holding statewide office, he now leads the party in Wisconsin. 

Johnson has backed federal legislation that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. He said he hoped the idea could gain traction with both parties, even though Democrats have generally opposed abortion restrictions.

He also praised federal legislation that Democrats have blocked that would send doctors to prison if they failed to provide medical care to babies who were delivered after an attempted abortion. 

He spoke to reporters three days after the Republican-led state Assembly passed similar "born alive" legislation. Republicans in the state Senate plan to pass the measure next month, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has said he will veto it because failing to provide care in such cases is already illegal. 

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But Republicans in the statehouse have not pursued further-reaching abortion restrictions that have taken off in other states. Johnson, similarly, showed no appetite for focusing on that kind of legislation.

He expressed reservations about trying to pass laws like those in Iowa and some other states aimed at banning abortion after around six weeks, when some women don't know they're pregnant. Those laws have been challenged in court. 

"That’s pretty early in the process, and I may personally support that, but in terms of public policy and what voters — and that’s what you really need to do ... you have to gain a consensus of voters," he said. "Where we will end up ultimately in this country, I can’t really predict."

This week, Alabama approved a law banning almost all abortions in the hope of eventually overturning Roe. The law does not include exceptions for rape or incest, and Johnson said he could not back it.

"I wouldn’t be supporting that, no," he said.

Johnson spoke to reporters as his backers encourage him to run for a third term in 2022 or campaign for governor that year.

“You never say never," Johnson said. 

But he added his preference would be to leave public office when his term ends. For now, he said he is focused on the 2020 races. 

Before he was re-elected in 2016, Johnson said a second term would be his last. But he said he might have to change direction if there is a risk Democrats could make gains in 2022.

Asked if it was possible both he and former Gov. Scott Walker could be on the ballot in 2022, Johnson said, "Anything's possible."

Johnson said he believes the toughest opponent President Donald Trump could face in 2020 is former Vice President Joe Biden, in part because "he's a likable guy."

Johnson, a manufacturer, said in business meetings he can tell by personality who is an engineer, who is an accountant and who is a sales manager.  

“Joe Biden is just that sales manager," Johnson said. "He’s very good.”

Johnson was planning Saturday night to fly to Ukraine for the swearing in of its new president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

And Johnson said the United States must be vigilant in preventing election interference by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If this was some great big election interference campaign on the part of Russia to poison our politics, we're doing Putin's work for him," Johnson said. "He's got to be sitting back in the Kremlin with a big ol' smile on his face going, ‘I can't believe how effective we've been just screwing up American politics.’ "

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.