Bernie Moreno says abortion should be regulated federally like alcohol

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno muddied his stance on abortion again in a statement to the New York Post, suggesting that abortion could be regulated at the federal level in a way similar to alcohol.

“The word ban is an invention of the Democrats in the media,” Moreno said at last week’s Republican National Convention while suggesting the procedure could see a similar federal regulation framework to those of alcohol regulations.

“Is it restricted? Ok. So can we use that same kind of framework to say that after 15 weeks, there’s some common-sense restrictions.”

While each state has varying laws for the sale and use of liquor, the only federal regulation is that individuals must be 21 years old to purchase and possess alcohol in the United States, in accordance with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law in 1984, but it is unclear how Moreno sees a connection between this law and regulating abortion federally. Moreno’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on his words by the time of publication.

Moreno’s latest words continue a series of contradictions on his views on reproductive rights. Before the RNC in Milwaukee, Moreno told reporters that his stance on abortion is “crystal clear” and “has not changed,” suggesting that he was still “100 percent pro-life with zero exceptions.” Moreno walked back these words during an interview with CNN on the second day of the RNC, saying that he believes abortion is a states’ issue and that the federal government should work more towards supporting families.

“What I said is we should look at ways to bring people together on this issue,” Moreno said on CNN. “First of all, I think this is mostly a states’ issue and I think we did that with Roe v. Wade.”

Despite claiming to believe that abortion is a states’ issue, Moreno opposed Ohio’s Issue 1 ballot measure last fall. Ohio voters approved the amendment on Nov. 7, 2023, which enshrined the right to make reproductive decisions into the state constitution. Days before Issue 1 passed, Moreno falsely claimed that the measure would allow a rapist to “force” a woman to have an abortion.

Moreno has trailed in polling and in fundraising numbers to incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in recent weeks.