(LifeSiteNews) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted the heartbeat law he signed allows for “exceptions” including fetal anomalies and rape, in response to a question during a presidential townhall Tuesday on CNN.
DeSantis said the exceptions cover a “small percentage” of abortions, and that his heartbeat law can still be used in “a lot of other situations” where unborn babies present “good human potential.”
Pro-lifers understand that human life begins at fertilization, that the circumstances of conception do not determine someone’s worth and that every abortion kills an innocent human life killed for no justifiable reason. Medical experts have also confirmed an abortion is never medically necessary.
DeSantis made his comments in response to a question from CNN host Jake Tapper about whether abortion prohibitions should require women to carry babies to term if there is the potential for a fatal condition. A Texas mother reportedly left the state while pregnant to have her baby aborted due to a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 after the state’s highest court ruled the law does not allow her an exception. The abortion industry has sought to use Kate Cox’ case as a vehicle to get Texas’ laws against killing babies weakened.
Gov. DeSantis called for “compassion” and described it is a “difficult” issue.
“What I can tell you is in Florida, the Florida legislature passed a heartbeat bill that contained exceptions for things like rape, incest, life of the mother, fatal fetal defect, and victim of human trafficking,” DeSantis said.
“And so I signed that bill, those are very difficult cases, and they made a prudential judgement that having those exceptions were things that made sense,” DeSantis said.
— Matt Lamb (@MattLamb22) December 15, 2023
‘Any baby with a life-limiting diagnosis should have the highest protection’
In response to the abortion industry using Cox’s story to attempt to weaken protections for unborn children a number of parents of children with Trisomy have published powerful witnesses to the sanctity of all human life.
LifeSiteNews’ Director of Advocacy, Tim Jackson, published an open and heartfelt plea to Kate Cox urging her to think twice about aborting her child. “I know how difficult it can be to contemplate the fact that your child might not live.” Jackson’s son made it to 37 weeks of development before passing away.
A mom of a baby with fetal abnormalities criticized a Texas court for ruling in favor of an abortion exception for Cox.
“Any baby with a life-limiting diagnosis should have the highest protection coming from all directions. The parents, the family, the hospital, and the law. Every life is worth protecting, no matter how long or short,” Nicole LeBlanc told LifeSiteNews. She gave birth to conjoined twins who were baptized and confirmed Catholic before dying soon after birth.
“No matter how the baby is developing. We live in a time of modern medicine,” LeBlanc said. “We live in a time where we can make the baby comfortable for as long as we can instead of slaughtering the innocent in the place they are most protected.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated December 16, 2023.