Convenience Big Store: Republicans not shying away from abortion fight

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Not shying away on abortion issues

So is abortion a bad issue for Republicans or not?

It's been hard to know for sure. After Roe v Wade was overturned last year, Republicans celebrated overturning an issue that long energized their base of support. But since then, the GOP has suffered surprising defeats all over the country in the 2022 and 2023 elections from Kansas to Ohio to Virginia.

And GOP presidential candidates are struggling to find the right lane where they can be sufficiently pro-life, but not open themselves up to being seen as too extreme.

Yet, we've seen this week that some pro-life Republicans continue to try to push the issue even further despite those more recent electoral defeats. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, successfully blocked more than 300 members of the military from getting promotions for 10 months because he wanted more aggressive anti-abortion policies in the Pentagon. Even as other pro-life Republicans warned he was hurting members of the military who have nothing to do with the policy, Tuberville didn't give up until this week.

And now, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, and others are threatening a program created by former President George W. Bush to combat AIDS globally, because they want more assurances money won't end up with groups that help women in Africa obtain abortions. That program has saved more than 25 million lives in Africa according to bipartisan advocates of the program who thought it was going to be far easier to reauthorize.

"Honestly, I was looking forward to marking up a five-year reauthorization, and now I'm in this abortion debate," said U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a pro-life Republican from Austin, who has been trying to negotiate a deal to continue Bush's signature accomplishment.

It all shows that while Democrats like President Joe Biden are going to make abortion rights a major issue in 2024, some Republicans aren't convinced it's a losing issue like some have suggested.

Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter

jeremy.wallace@houstonchronicle.com

Who's up, who's down

Up: Paul Bettencourt.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick gets a lot of the credit for leading the charge on cutting property taxes, but Bettencourt, the Houston State Senator, has been the architect and lead negotiator on the tax cuts for years. With many homeowners seeing their first property tax cuts ever this year, and more cuts coming next year because of his work, Bettencourt was just picked by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council as the national legislator of the year. While not likely to win him any general election battles, the nod from ALEC solidifies his standing within the Texas GOP on tax issues.

Down: December Runoffs.

The next leader of Houston will be decided in a runoff election on Saturday that will see very low voter turnout. Of about 1.2 million registered voters, experts expect just about 200,000 will cast ballots in the race between Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire to see who will run the biggest city in Texas.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.

What else is going on in Texas

FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Photo by: Eric Gay/Associated Press

Paxton warns Houston hospitals not to comply with abortion order

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned three Houston hospitals that they could still face penalties if they allow the procedure to happen.

Loving County's only district courtroom.

Photo by: ERIC DEXHEIMER / HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Voting lawsuit upends election results in Loving County, Texas

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Houston mayoral candidates Sheila Jackson Lee, left, and John Whitmire, right, will face a Dec. 9 runoff to see who will lead the city.

Photo by: Staff File Photos

Whitmire, Jackson Lee face demographic split in Houston mayoral runoff

Experts said the success of Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire hinges on their ability to energize their voter bases, a decisive factor that has shaped past elections and could once again.

Former Housing Secretary Julian Castro speaks to endorse his mother, Rosie Castro, before she gets sworn in at Council Chambers as the interim District 7 councilperson to replace Ana Sandoval on Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023. Castro will temporarily hold the seat for the next three months.

Photo by: Kin Man Hui/Staff Photographer

Julián Castro embraces change, including a divorce, new job

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FILE - President Joe Biden speaks during an event on prescription drug costs, in the East Room of the White House, Aug. 29, 2023, in Washington. The Biden administration is putting pharmaceutical companies on notice. It's warning them that if the price of certain drugs is too high, they might allow other companies to make their product. Under the new plan, the government would consider overriding the patent for high-priced drugs that have been developed with the help of taxpayer money.

Photo by: Evan Vucci, AP

President Joe Biden is launching a Hollywood fundraising blitz

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are headed to California for six fundraising events as they hope to rake in record-breaking campaign contributions.

Pick of the day

Jeremy Wallace and Scott Braddock talk all things Texas politics on the Texas Take podcast, released every Friday.

Photo by: Nadya Hassan

Will he or won't he? In our latest Texas Take podcast, Quorumreport.com editor Scott Braddock and I delve into whether Gov. Greg Abbott will call another special session of the Texas Legislature even though a school choice plan appears dead. Plus we dig into the latest on border politics and introduce you to the historic rise of Texas native Irma Carrillo Ramirez who went from picking cotton in West Texas to landing a spot on one of the most important federal courts in America.

What else I'm reading

Attorneys for Black and Latino voters in Galveston County are petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling from an appeals court that would allow the county to use a redistricting map that has been declared a violation of the Voting Rights Act. B. Scott McLendon of the Galveston Daily News has the latest on the legal battle.