Debbie Mucarsel-Powell slams ‘scrambling’ Rick Scott for shifting abortion position

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott continues to be plagued by an election cycle where abortion literally is on the ballot in Florida, providing the first chance for voters to weigh in since 2023’s Heartbeat Protection Act was passed, making the procedure illegal in most cases after six weeks of pregnancy.

Likely Democratic opponent Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is taking Scott to task for rhetorical inconsistencies between alternating between saying he would have signed the abortion bill served up for then-presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, while also saying that “15 weeks” is closer to where he believes Floridians are.

“Rick Scrambling Scott is just so extreme, he can’t help but double down on his support for a near-total abortion ban before most women know they are pregnant,” Mucarsel-Powell said on Wednesday

“And now, he’s leaving the door open for another national abortion ban like the one he co-sponsored. Florida voters can see straight through his lies, and they’re ready to send a clear message that enough is enough come November.”

“If I was the sitting Governor, and the six-week abortion ban came in front of me, I would sign it. I’ve always said I would sign it,” Scott said during a television local market interview this week, providing a jumping off point for the Democrat’s criticisms of the Naples Republican.

Those comments don’t comport with remarks he made to The Hill this week.

“If I was writing a bill, I think 15 weeks is where the state is,” Scott said in an interview that ran on Monday.

He added that “15 weeks with the limitations (for rape, incest, and maternal health) is where the state’s at,” contending it’s “important we do what there’s consensus” for.

Scott also said in 2023 he would have signed the bill, even though he offered a more nuanced take in an interview with Univision that muddied the waters just like is happening now.

“Probably most people are about 15 weeks with all the exceptions. And they ought to have exceptions for rape and incest and the life of the mother. And so I think that’s where the population is. And I think that’s our state. You know, our state legislation ought to represent that.”