Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expressing his dissatisfaction once more regarding the lack of public opposition from Florida’s Republican congressional delegation against Amendment 4, a ballot initiative aiming to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
DeSantis has been fervent in his opposition to the proposal, which seeks to overturn Florida’s current ban on most abortions after six weeks and restore the legal threshold to around 24 weeks, or the “point of viability.”
The proposal requires 60% voter approval to become law. The governor has been vocal almost daily, urging Floridians to reject the amendment and has recently criticized GOP federal lawmakers who have not yet publicly opposed it.
“You have people who have been elected as Republicans to have run saying that how passionately pro-life they are. Talking about how this is such an important issue and this and that,” DeSantis said Monday on WFSX 92.5 FM in Fort Myers with state GOP Rep. Spencer Roach.
“These are people that ran on this, saying that this was something that was so important. And so now you have this amendment, which would make Florida one of the most radical abortion jurisdictions in the world, and yet you have people that won’t even say that they’re going to vote no on it? I mean, forget about actually putting in some sweat to say they shouldn’t be in the Constitution and actually going out and doing something about it — they won’t even say that.”
This marks the second occasion DeSantis has expressed his disappointment over the silence from some of the 20 members of Florida’s Republican congressional delegation. Earlier this month, at the Republican Party of Florida’s Victory Dinner fundraiser, DeSantis listed each Florida Cabinet and Congress member who opposed the measure and recognized those who contributed financially.
Notably, the only Republicans omitted from his speech were Laurel Lee, Anna Paulina Luna, Bill Posey, and Brian Mast (who had declared his opposition a few days earlier).
Despite Posey not seeking re-election, Luna and Lee’s reluctance to publicly oppose the measure has become a talking point for their Democratic rivals.
“Luna is dodging questions on the FL abortion amendment, even from her own supporters,” Democrat Whitney Fox, Luna’s opponent in Florida’s Congressional District 13 race, commented last week on X. “She’s willing to force her extreme beliefs on you but is too afraid to answer honestly when challenged. There’s only one word for that: cowardice.”
Dripping hints
Luna hinted at her opposition during a radio interview last month but refrained from making a definitive public statement.
“What I will tell you is that I am personally very pro-life and I’m not ever going to change that position,” Luna said on WMNF 88.5 FM in Tampa on Aug. 2.
“I think that as a federal legislator, that it would be wrong for me to tell the states what to do on these topics because that’s not what our founding fathers anticipated, so what I will tell people is to vote your conscience. I think you know how I will probably be voting on that, but again, that’s not my decision, that’s up for the people to decide.”
“Here’s the thing,” DeSantis said to Roach on Monday.
“What I have found is that you can’t expect politicians by and large to do the right thing for the right reason. Sometimes they’ll do the right thing because their feet are held to the fire, they fear the political consequences or whatever, but I think the people that are just willing to get out there, stand up for what’s right, do what’s right, because it is right, you know, those are few and far between, unfortunately.”
First Lady Casey DeSantis on Friday reposted a comment on X from a man who linked to a POLITICO post quoting Luna’s position on states’ rights.
“The clear answer to whether FL should enact a constitutional amendment that allows abortions until birth, removes doctors from the process, and takes away parental consent for minors — which Amendment 4 would do — is: No,” Mrs. DeSantis wrote.
The proposed “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion’s” ballot summary reads: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”
Campaign issue
Lee, who is seeking re-election in Florida’s 15th Congressional District, covering parts of Hillsborough, Polk, and Pasco counties, has also remained silent on the issue, noted by Pat Kemp, her Democratic opponent.
Lee did praise the overturning of Roe v. Wade, supporting the Supreme Court’s decision to let states decide. However, she has not commented on Florida’s six-week abortion ban, declining to state her position when asked by the Tampa Bay Times in April.
Several polls indicate the proposal has garnered over 60% support, yet the latest major survey from Emerson College shows it falling short at 55%.
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