Rick Scott Supports Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban Above 6-Week Limit

Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) says he would support replacing Florida’s six-week state abortion ban with a 15-week state ban that he believes would reflect a broader consensus within the State of Florida about how to protect life in pregnancy.

Scott says any statewide 15-week abortion ban should include standard exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.

Scott, who is running for re-election to a second term in the Senate, says he remains staunchly “pro-life” and signed “every pro-life bill that came my way” while serving as Florida governor from 2011 to 2019 .

But he says that “in Florida there is much more consensus around 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.”

“So if I were writing a bill, I would think that 15 weeks with the limitations [for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother] that’s where the state is,” he told The Hill in an interview. “I think it’s important that we do what there is consensus on.”

Scott says he is in no way backing down on his support for restricting abortion, but wants to put the focus of the Senate campaign debate on Democrats, who he has claimed are in favor of allowing abortion until just before birth. Abortions are rarely performed in the third trimester.

“I’m pro-life and I think we need to continue to emphasize the importance of being pro-life and I think the other thing is we need to be very clear that Democrats are barbarians. They want to – they have already voted to allow abortion up until the moment of birth,” he said.

Asked specifically whether he would favor replacing the six-week abortion ban signed into law a year ago by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with a statewide 15-week ban, Scott said, “If I were writing a bill , I think 15 weeks is where the state is.”

Scott made his comments two weeks after the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, setting the stage for DeSantis’ six-week abortion ban to take effect next month.

The six-week ban’s entry into force was stalled as proponents and opponents of abortion rights fought over the constitutionality of a 15-week ban, which DeSantis signed into law in 2022.

Now that the state Supreme Court upheld the 2022 law with a 6-1 vote, the six-week ban could go into effect next month. The six-week ban includes exceptions for saving the mother’s life and for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, as long as they are terminated by the 15th week.

The Florida Supreme Court also ruled this month, 4-3, that voters can consider a ballot initiative that would amend the state Constitution to protect the right to abortion.

The amendment, if passed, would decree that no law should prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before the fetus becomes viable outside the uterus, nor should any law restrict abortion when it is “necessary to protect the health of the patient, as determined by the patient’s health care.” supplier.

Florida Democrats, including Scott’s opponent, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Florida), want to put the issue of abortion rights front and center ahead of the general election.

Democratic strategists hope women voters will turn out in large numbers to vote in favor of the ballot initiative to protect abortion rights.

Scott, in a statement issued after the state Supreme Court ruling, said: “We all know that life is the greatest gift we will ever receive, we want to welcome every unborn baby, and we prefer adoption over abortion.” .

He said lawmakers “must work hard to make adoption more accessible” and promised to “always protect IVF.”

He accused Mucarsel-Powell of opposing any limits on abortion.

The Mucarsel-Powell campaign released a memo earlier this month calling the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling a “watershed” and declaring that Scott’s stance on abortion rights poses “an existential threat to his candidacy for re-election”.

“It makes me more committed than ever to making sure that we not only pass the election amendment…but also make sure that I win,” the Democratic candidate told The Hill in an interview after the court ruling.