The overturning of Roe v. Wade last year has led to consistent backlashes from voters for anti-abortion Republicans, and now NBC News reports that the party thinks it needs a rebranding.
The report claims that Senate Republicans held a closed-door meeting this week to discuss new polling showing that voters are no longer reacting positively to the "pro-life" label as they associate it with laws that restrict women's access to abortion-related health care.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told NBC News that the meeting made clear to him that anti-abortion politicians must make clear exactly where they stand on the specifics of the issue, such as whether exceptions should be made for cases of rape and incest.
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"Many voters think [‘pro-life’] means you’re for no exceptions in favor of abortion ever, ever, and ‘pro-choice’ now can mean any number of things," he said. "So the conversation was mostly oriented around how voters think of those labels, that they’ve shifted. So if you’re going to talk about the issue, you need to be specific."
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), meanwhile, floated a rebranding of "pro-baby policies" to clear up any confusion.
The anti-abortion movement has suffered one setback after another ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe, as abortion-centered elections in states ranging from Wisconsin to Ohio to Kansas have all sent clear messages that voters are wary of slapping restrictions on women's rights.
