Sen. Rick Scott, chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign fundraising arm, said Sunday that he supports “reasonable” abortion restrictions and “there’s arguments to do it at the federal level.”
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Scott was asked to weigh in on Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy and whether he believes such restrictions should be done on the federal level.
“Look, there’s arguments to do it at the federal level,” he said. “Right now, all the candidates are taking positions.
“I’m pro life as you know, I think we ought to have reasonable restrictions. I think a lot of people are comfortable with 15 weeks and exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother, but every candidate gets to make their choice.”
Asked if Graham’s proposal complicated Republican efforts to win the Senate this fall, Scott implied that abortion rights is a hot button issue led by Democrats.
“Democrats have talked a lot about that this year. So every candidate has been talking about what their position is on abortion,” Scott said. “So I think it’s important that people tell people what their position is, and it’s being done state by state all across the country.”
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“I don’t know if what Lindsey put out changed the conversation, but it is an important issue for the country,” he said, without taking a position on Graham’s bill.
Several Republican leaders attacked Graham’s bill, which he introduced last month, as a distraction that divides the GOP and casts the party as one with extremist views on abortion.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has distanced himself from the bill.
“Most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level,” McConnell told reporters last month.