Jon Husted, in a competitive reelection race, declines to give a position on the mifepristone ban
United States Senator for Ohio, responding to questions from Axios; his answer is reported in paraphrase, not quoted directly
“Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who faces a competitive reelection race, told Axios he hasn't seen Hawley's bill when asked for his position on it.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The fullest available account of Senate Republican reluctance on the bill, with direct responses from Husted and Tillis, Hawley's reply to Axios, and Marjorie Dannenfelser's criticism of the Trump administration's handling of mifepristone litigation.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Axios reported that Hawley's push was elevating an issue many Republicans hoped to avoid before the midterms, and that additional abortion restrictions could cost the party support in key races. It approached senators in competitive races for their positions.
After the quotation
Senator Thom Tillis gave Axios the same answer, adding "No" when asked whether Republicans were discussing the issue at all. Senate health committee chairman Bill Cassidy separately told MS NOW he had not seen the legislation.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Congress ban the abortion pill, mifepristone, as Josh Hawley has proposed?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case's fixed reference point is Hawley's proposition that Congress should ban mifepristone by revoking its federal approval. Husted was asked directly for his position and withheld it, which is a refusal rather than a substantive response. The closest competing label is a finding that this is not a position event at all, since not having read a bill can be a plain statement of fact rather than an evasion. That loses because the question put to him was expressly for his position, and Axios reported the answer as one of several from senators in competitive races who would not state one. This record carries a lower grade of evidence than the others in the case: the source paraphrases rather than quotes, so the substance is attributable to Husted but the wording is the reporter's.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Josh Hawley
Should Congress ban the abortion pill, mifepristone, as Josh Hawley has proposed?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“Unfortunately the Republican Party has lost its voice on the life issue and in that vacuum there are leaders that are stepping forward like Sen. Hawley calling upon the church, communities and the country to step up on behalf of the unborn.”Read statement
“This Declaration for Life, written by pastors, is calling on everyday Christians across America to stand for life and confront the scourge of chemical abortion.”Read statement
“No.”Read statement