West Palm Beach— This week, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida joined the ranks of Republican incumbents attempting to strike a balance on reproductive rights, opposing a November ballot proposal to overturn his state's six-week abortion restriction but believing Congress should leave those decisions to the states.
Scott, a reelection candidate, was one of several senators who softened GOP abortion message under former President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court's 2022 ruling overturned the constitutional right to abortion and let states to decide. After winning state ballot initiatives and other contests since then, Democrats have stated their want to make the issue a focal point in November.
After the Florida Supreme Court authorized the abortion amendment for November's ballot, Scott said he supports “reasonable limits placed on abortion” and protecting in vitro fertilization procedures and making adoptions more accessible.
We all know that life is the greatest gift we have ever received, we want to welcome every unborn baby into life, and we prefer adoption over abortion,” Scott stated. While abortion issues rage nationwide, Scott is moderating his message. The Arizona Supreme Court said Tuesday that state officials can enforce an 1864 statute banning abortions except in life-threatening situations.
Meanwhile, Florida Democrats want to codify abortion rights in the state Constitution and use the issue to topple Scott and other Republicans. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a prominent Democratic candidate to replace Scott, said the issue was the “basic dignity for a woman to be able to make that choice of her own body, of when and how to start a family.”
Mucarsel-Powell said in an interview after Florida's court victory last week that supporting the abortion rights amendment in November isn't the end. She said voters should remove Scott so he “doesn’t have a say on what happens to women.”
Florida has gotten more conservative since being the swing state. Trump won the state in 2016 and 2020, but Democrats, who trail in registration by 800,000 people, hope abortion rights can restore their advantage.
Though Democrats are defending more Senate seats than Republicans, national Democrats have targeted Scott this year to maintain a small majority. Last month, Scott announced he is “seriously considering” competing for Senate leadership, raising the stakes. He lost the Senate's top Republican race against Mitch McConnell 37-10 in 2022.
McConnell plans to resign as Senate leader later this year. Florida's Supreme Court upheld a 15-week abortion ban and a trigger mechanism to implement a six-week ban next month in its April 1 opinions. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says Florida women have more ballot stakes than ever.
The DSCC's spokesperson, Maeve Coyle, said the fight against these new abortion restrictions will highlight Rick Scott's disastrous history of backing draconian abortion prohibitions. “In November, Florida voters will reject this abortion ban and fire Rick Scott from the Senate to protect women's medical freedom.”
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