Sen. Scott: Would Back 'Most Conservative Pro-Life' Bill As President

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., says he would support the "most conservative pro-life legislation" that Congress sends him should he be elected president.

"I'm not going to talk about six or five or seven or 10," he told NBC News when asked what the federal cutoff should be for abortions. "I'm just saying that whatever the most conservative legislation is that can come through Congress."

He also declined to specify whether that included supporting a national abortion ban, saying, "I'm not going to deal with a bunch of hypotheticals."

Scott earlier this week launched an exploratory committee to run for president, becoming the latest Republican to enter the 2024 contest.

"I will never back down in defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional," Scott tweeted along with a video. "That's why I'm announcing my exploratory committee for President of the United States. This fight is personal. I want every American to have the same opportunities I had."

Abortion has emerged as a potent political issue in the U.S. since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, with polls showing that support for abortion rights helped Democrats outperform Republicans in November's midterm elections.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law on Thursday, a move Scott said should be celebrated.

"As the culture of life is being protected, we should celebrate that," he said. "States will have different varying views on that."

Patients from across the U.S. Southeast have been traveling to Florida to end their pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted federal abortion rights. Most other states in the region have already banned the procedure at early stages of pregnancy.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.