After Roe decision, Floridians are ready to reject GOP abortion bans - Opinion [View all]
After Roe decision, Floridians are ready to reject GOP abortion bans - Opinion
Over half a century ago, in the face of attacks from Republican politicians and special interest groups, women in Florida and all across the country stood shoulder to shoulder and fought for their right to access reproductive care. As a result of their tireless advocacy, in 1973, the Supreme Court enshrined the right to choose in our constitution. That victory was hard fought, and it paved the way for generations of women to make their own healthcare decisions without political influence.
More than 50 years later, Florida women are once again fighting for that right.
In 2022, Donald Trump and his extreme backers like U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida finally accomplished what anti-freedom extremists had been trying to do for decades: turning back the clock on womens rights and overturning Roe v. Wade. Trump is proud of that achievement hes even called it a miracle and boasted about being the one responsible for Republicans passing cruel abortion bans across the country.
But he hasnt done it alone. Hes found staunch allies in politicians like Scott who have made it their mission to rip away womens reproductive rights.
Over the last year, Floridians have seen one attack after another on our fundamental freedoms. When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country, Scott proudly supported it and claimed he would have signed that law as governor. (Scott was elected governor of Florida in 2010 and reelected in 2014.) In the Senate, that could have devastating and deadly consequences for women in all 50 states.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in 2024. She is a former congresswoman who was elected in 2018 to represent Floridas 26th congressional district. She lives in Miami.