Fresh off an election loss where Virginia voters rejected Glenn Youngkin’s anti-abortion candidate in a special election for state Senate, Virginia Republicans introduced a bill commissioned by Governor Glenn Youngkin to ban abortion in the commonwealth and threaten doctors with criminal charges. 

In response, DNC spokesperson Rhyan Lake released the following statement.

“Glenn Youngkin is making his push to ban abortion and throw doctors in jail a cornerstone of his plan to court the MAGA base with his extreme agenda. This is consistent with every potential 2024 Republican who is desperate to prove their MAGA bonafides.”

On top of restricting Virginia women’s access to abortion, Youngkin’s extreme abortion ban threatens doctors with up to 10 years of jail time and a $100,000 fine.

WRIC: “Under the legislation filed by Byron, physicians who perform or attempt to perform abortions after that threshold would face a Class 4 felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years and a possible $100,000 fine.”

Youngkin-endorsed Republican Kevin Adams was rejected in the Virginia special election for state Senate after abortion became a central theme in the race, making it more difficult for Youngkin to pass the ban he’s been pushing for.

Washington Post: “The election, to fill the swing-district seat vacated by Republican Jen A. Kiggans after she was elected to Congress in November, occurs against the backdrop of a proposal by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to ban the procedure in Virginia after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and to preserve the mother’s life.

But Youngkin, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has hinted that he is willing to go further. At a gathering in June to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that had legalized abortion nationwide, Youngkin said he believes life begins at conception, and he said he would ‘gleefully’ sign ‘any bill [to protect life] that comes to my desk.’”

Virginia Mercury: “The outcome, if it holds, will give Senate Democrats more power to block Republican proposals, such as tougher abortion restrictions, pushed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the GOP-controlled House of Delegates in the legislative session that starts Wednesday.”

Youngkin has already signaled that he’s willing to go even further than this bill, saying he’d “happily and gleefully” sign “any bill” to restrict a woman’s ability to make her own health care decisions. 

Politico: “[Youngkin] has repeatedly pledged to sign a 15-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother should one ever make it to his desk. In December, he also proposed banning the state’s Medicaid program from covering abortion in cases of ‘incapacitating’ fetal deformities. Yet conservatives in the state are eager to go further.”

Washington Post: “‘Any bill that comes to my desk I will sign happily and gleefully in order to protect life,’ [Youngkin] said.”