Val Demings denounces Marco Rubio’s abortion stance
President Joe Biden is rallying Democratic voters with just three weeks to go before election day with a promise that should the party retain control of both houses of Congress he will send lawmakers a bill codifying the right to an abortion.
“If Republicans get their way with a national ban, it won’t matter where you live in America,” the president said yesterday. “The only sure way to stop these extremist laws that have put in jeopardy women’s health and rights is for Congress to pass a law.”
The Democrats are currently expected to lose the House of Representatives based on current polling, but the battle to control the Senate appears closer.
Meanwhile, Florida Senator Marco Rubio faced off against his Democratic challenger Val Demings in an acrimonious TV debate that saw the two spar over abortion, guns and protecting elections.
In one particularly odd exchange, Mr Rubio suggested that ballot drop boxes, which Republicans in various states have tried to restrict, are vulnerable to attack with explosives.
Follow the latest news on the 2022 midterms below
Biden to enshrine Roe in law if Democrats keep Congress
Joe Biden will sign legislation protecting access to abortion care into law if Democrats win control of Congress in midterm elections this fall.
In remarks to a Democratic National Committee event on 18 October, the president announced plans to sign a bill to codify Roe v Wade protections on the 50th anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision. He intends the move to be his first act of 2023.
In June, the nation’s high court struck down precedents established by Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey that affirmed the constitutional right to abortion care.
“The only sure way to stop these extremist laws that have put in jeopardy women’s health and rights is for Congress to pass a law,” Mr Biden said yesterday.
Biden promises to codify Roe v Wade in January if Democrats win control of Congress
Facing threats of national abortion bans under GOP leadership, President Biden pledges to sign protections into law as his first act of 2023 – if his party prevails in midterms
Andrew Naughtie19 October 2022 11:40
Gisele Fetterman calls for NBC to apologise following ‘shocking’ interview
Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman’s wife Gisele Baretto Fetterman has criticised an NBC News interview with her husband, for the way the network discussed accommodating the lawmaker with closed captioning after he suffered a stroke.
She now wants an apology. Ms Fetterman spoke with The Independent.
Gisele Fetterman calls for NBC to apologise over interview with John Fetterman
John Fetterman’s wife speaks to Eric Garcia about closed captioning and the controversy after Senate candidate’s interview with NBC News
Oliver O’Connell19 October 2022 11:30
CNN PR hits back at Kari Lake allegations of muted mic
CNN responded with the full video of Kari Lake’s appearance on the network’s State of the Union programme after she claimed that her mic was muted.
CNN fires back with full video after Kari Lake claims her mic was muted
GOP gubernatorial nominee has refused to accept that Donald Trump lost in 2020
Oliver O’Connell19 October 2022 10:00
Kari Lake:The seemingly unstoppable rise of Trump-backed election denier
Kari Lake has emerged as one of the loudest and most effective voices in maintaining Donald Trump’s false claim that the 2020 election was rigged, and but for various alleged shenanigans – discounted by election experts and every court asked to consider them – Joe Biden would not be sitting in the White House.
Andrew Buncombe takes a look at her rise to be the Republican candidate for governor of Arizona.
The seemingly unstoppable rise of election denier Kari Lake
With backing of Donald Trump – a former television presenter with no political experience – is now in critical…
Read More: Midterms – latest: Biden promises to protect abortion in law if Democrats keep control of Congress