Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America officially welcomed Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) into the presidential race following his campaign launch on Monday.
“Tim Scott has always spoken bravely and eloquently in defense of unborn children, with a background that imbues his pro-life convictions with particular empathy for single moms, the poor, and the disadvantaged," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said of the South Carolina Republican.
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"As he officially enters the 2024 presidential race, we are encouraged by his commitment to sign the strongest achievable protections for life should he be elected president. We welcome Scott and all presidential contenders further outlining their pro-life vision and policy platform,” she continued.
Scott notably signaled support for greater limits on abortion federally in a recent appearance in his home state. “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 told a reporter.
When asked if that would include a limit at six weeks of pregnancy, the senator refused to put a number of weeks on a possible ban.
“I’m not going to talk about six or five or seven or ten,” he explained.
In the Monday statement, Dannenfelser said, “The pro-life movement is seeking a national defender of life who will boldly advocate a minimum national standard to protect unborn children at least by 15 weeks when they can feel pain, and who will work tirelessly to build consensus and gather the votes necessary in Congress.
"Millions of pro-life voters are watching for that clear contrast as the primary election unfolds," she stressed.
This comes after the group called out former President Donald Trump, the current Republican primary front-runner, over his comments on abortion policy.
Trump expressed support for leaving the issue to the states following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
“President Donald J. Trump believes that the Supreme Court, led by the three justices which he supported, got it right when they ruled this is an issue that should be decided at the state level," his campaign told the Washington Examiner in April.
In response, SBA Pro-Life America called the stance "morally indefensible" and pledged not to support any candidate who "refuses to embrace at a minimum a 15-week national standard to stop painful late-term abortions."
The group later met with Trump, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). This was followed by a much less specific statement, in which SBA Pro-Life America said: “During the meeting, President Trump reiterated his opposition to the extreme Democratic position of abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth, paid for by taxpayers — and even in some cases after the child is born."
It didn't offer any details about Trump's stance on a federal ban.
Directly afterward, at a live CNN town hall event, Trump refused to pledge support for a federal ban, instead saying he would "negotiate so that people are happy." He further claimed he would "make a determination what is great for the country and what's fair for the country."
In an April speech at SBA Pro-Life America, fellow 2024 candidate Nikki Haley expressed her goal of reaching a “national consensus” and working to “save as many lives and help as many moms as possible.” She did not lay out an ideal number of weeks for a federal ban. The organization reportedly claimed that she had laid that information out during private conversations.
Haley reiterated her call for "federal consensus" in a May appearance on CBS, calling for a realistic policy that could withstand a divided government. "The consensus already exists. Polling shows 72% of Americans support limiting abortions by at least 15 weeks when the unborn child can feel excruciating pain," Dannenfelser responded in a statement.
The 2024 presidential election, which is the first since Roe was overturned, could be defined by abortion policy. The 2022 midterm elections, in which Republicans generally performed worse than expected, saw abortion as one of the most important issues to voters, according to exit polling.
About two-thirds of voters further indicated to network exit polls and AP VoteCast that they would prefer to see abortion legal in most or all cases.
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Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has been vocal about Republicans appealing to independent and moderate voters on the issue of abortion, in particular, if the party wants to win. "It shaped 2022 races, and I do believe that if Republicans ignore it that it will also affect our races in '24," she told the Washington Examiner in a recent interview.
"This is the road map to winning in states and in districts where independents outnumber Republicans or where Democrats and independents outnumber Republicans — where we can win over suburban women and suburban moms. There's a path to doing that. But you've got to take positions and be vocal about them and show that you care," she explained.