(NewsNation) — While former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican primary, GOP lawmakers in Washington are trying to navigate some major differences among themselves.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace joined “The Hill on NewsNation” to discuss a divide within the GOP on important issues including additional aid for Ukraine and abortion restrictions.
Ukraine has become a divisive issue within the Republican Party, particularly as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit Washington to meet with President Joe Biden at a moment when continued support from his most important ally looks imperiled.
Mace highlighted the need for answers before committing to additional Ukraine aid.
“I want to know if the aid we’ve provided has been exhausted,” she said. “Where are we on that rollout? Because I know when we gave that first tranche, the State Department was very, very slow in rolling out lethal aid to Ukraine.”
Mace emphasizes the importance of evaluating the utilization of existing resources, the efficiency of aid rollout and the contribution of American allies.
“I haven’t taken a side on additional aid at this juncture,” she said. “Because I want to know where we are with the current aid we’ve already committed. Have we exhausted it? Do we have $20 billion more to go?”
The recently signed six-week abortion ban in Florida, championed by Governor Ron DeSantis, has ignited debates within the GOP.
Former President Trump has criticized the move, calling it a “terrible thing.” Mace questioned whether such policies are too extreme, particularly considering the lack of a national mandate for such measures.
“I don’t understand why you would put a general election, the White House, at risk for taking a more extreme position where the rest of the country just is not,” she said. “There was no mandate for that kind of policy, especially when you’re mandating rape be reported to law enforcement. That’s not what women want.”
Mace advocated for a more moderate position on abortion, aligning with the majority of Americans and emphasizing the importance of not demonizing women in the process.
“I do believe that Donald Trump has the better position on abortion,” she said. “So too does Nikki Haley. She was the only one on the debate stage a few weeks ago that said we should not be demonizing women, even when we disagree with them.”
As the Republican Party grapples with internal differences, Mace acknowledged the diversity of opinion within her party and encouraged open debates on critical issues.
“I would hope that not any party would fall just in line with whomever, that we have politically diverse voices, that we debate issues that we’re passionate about,” she said. “At the end of the day, obviously, we want to come together. But I like the diversity of opinion that we currently have in our party today.”
The Hill contributed to this report.