Rick Scott dismisses Amendment 4 as a gimmick targeting women voters

During a Zoom conference with supporters, the Republican Senator said the ballot measure was nothing more than a ruse or a gimmick to mobilize women voters in the state and repeated lies about abortion.

After the Florida Supreme Court ruled in April that Amendment 4 could be included on the November ballot, the grassroots measure the to enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution has faced strong opposition from many Florida Republicans, including state’s Senator Rick Scott, an avowed foe of reproductive rights.

During a Monday night Zoom call with supporters, Scott called Amendment 4 — which would overturn Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-week abortion ban and restore abortion rights until fetal viability (usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy) — nothing more than a ruse or a gimmick to mobilize women voters in the state. 

“I think that was probably the intention of doing the abortion amendment, is to try to get women out to vote and vote against Republicans,” Scott said in an audio obtained by Jezebel, a website featuring news and cultural commentary geared towards women. 

Scott then went on to spread blatant lies about the Democrats’ stance on abortion, claiming “how they want to have abortion up until the moment before a baby, a nine-month term, by crushing a baby’s skull.” 

Earlier in September, Scott was seen spreading the same lie, adding that Democrats in Washington DC all voted in support of “abortion up until the moment of birth.”

In reality, what Scott and other Republicans are talking about when they talk about “abortion up until the moment of birth” are instances of abortion that occur when a pregnant woman learns that she has severe medical complications that threaten her life or that her fetus is fatally ill and won’t survive. 

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These instances of abortion are extremely rare. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 92.7% of all abortions take place by the 13th week of pregnancy. Abortions performed after the 20th week of pregnancy represent a small percentage of the total number of all procedures performed, and they become increasingly more rare as the weeks go on.

The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that only 1% of abortions in the US occur at or after 21 weeks of pregnancy — and in those cases, it’s overwhelmingly the result of threats to the mother’s health or serious fetal abnormalities. 

The state’s junior senator in 2023 openly expressed his support for Florida’s extreme six-week abortion ban, and in 2024 he reiterated his support for the ban, voted against the Right to Contraception Act, and against the bipartisan Right to IVF Act.

A campaign of lies

Scott’s lies about Amendment 4 are not the only effort by Republicans to sabotage the ballot measure. Earlier this month, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ election police were sent to the homes of those who signed the petition to put Amendment 4 on the ballot. These individuals were questioned about whether their signatures supporting the measure were fraudulent, despite the fact that the signatures had been previously validated.

Additionally, DeSantis’ taxpayer-funded Agency for Health Care Administration’s web page falsely claims that Florida’s abortion ban “protects women” and that Amendment 4 “threatens women’s safety.” 

But despite DeSantis’ and Scott’s attempts to mislead Floridians, recent polling shows strong bipartisan support for Amendment 4, ranging from 55% to 69% of voters. The ballot measure needs at least 60% support among voters to pass.  

In November, Scott will face former Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a strong and vocal supporter of Amendment 4. 

“Scott’s name is on a federal abortion ban. His bill includes criminal sentences for reproductive care providers,” Mucarsel-Powell told Floricua. “In November, Floridians will hold Scott accountable for his dangerous agenda.” 

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