Tim Scott says he would sign ‘most conservative, pro-life legislation’ if elected president

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said on Friday that he would sign the “most conservative, pro-life” legislation into law if he was elected president when asked whether he would support a ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, such as the most recent ban in Florida. 

“The people have decided that their elected leaders have the opportunity to do so, so I say absolutely. As the culture of life is being protected, we should celebrate that. States will have different, varying views on that,” Scott said in an interview with NBC News on Friday in South Carolina. 

“But yes, if I were president of the United States, I would literally sign the most conservative, pro-life legislation that they can get through Congress,” he continued. 

“I’m not going to talk about six or five or seven or 10,” he said when asked to clarify when the cutoff should be. “I’m just saying that whatever the most conservative legislation is that can come through Congress.”

Scott’s most recent comments come one day after he said in an interview in New Hampshire that he would “definitely” sign a 20 week ban on the procedure into law if it reached his desk as president. 

The national debate over the legalization of abortion reached a fever pitch this week after Florida Gov. Ron DeSanits, who is also preparing to jump into the 2024 GOP primary, signed a six week ban on the procedure into law in Florida. Meanwhile, nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone is being challenged in court.

Republicans up and down the ballot have grappled with how to message on abortion after Democrats successfully zeroed in on the issue in the lead up to last year’s midterm elections following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has called on Republicans to put Democrats “on the defense” on the issue by labeling them as extreme on abortion.

Roe v. Wade upheld the constitutional right to an abortion prior to viability, typically around 23 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. After viability, states had the authority to regulate abortion under Roe. Abortions at or after 21 weeks are uncommon, and represent 1 percent of all abortions in the U.S., according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.