Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is against abortions for women with a Zika virus risk, according to Politico.
Politico reported that the senator said even if a pregnant woman infected with Zika has a risk of delivering a baby with severe microcephaly, she still doesn't have a right to an abortion.
"I understand a lot of people disagree with my view – but I believe that all human life is worthy of protection of our laws. And when you present it in the context of Zika or any prenatal condition, it's a difficult question and a hard one," Rubio told Politico. "But if I'm going to err, I'm going to err on the side of life."
"Obviously, microcephaly is a terrible prenatal condition that kids are born with. And when they are, it’s a lifetime of difficulties," Rubio said. "So I get it. I’m not pretending to you that that’s an easy question you asked me. But I’m pro life."
Rubio's comments come after a split on party lines in Congress left funding for a Zika bill in limbo, which The Associated Press reported was a $1.1 billion proposal, written by GOP representatives, to combat the virus but was blocked by Democrats in a 52-48 vote Tuesday.
Democrats blamed Republicans for loading the bill with things that would reject new funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico.
Florida Democratic Sen. Patrick Murphy said in a Saturday press release that "Rubio exploited the Zika crisis to attack women's health funding and Planned Parenthood."
Rubio said the words Planned Parenthood "don’t appear anywhere in the law" and that Democrats' Planned Parenthood reasoning was "basically made up to have a political reason not to pass Zika so they can come back in August and campaign on it."
"I’m strongly pro life," Rubio said. "I believe all human life should be protected by our law, irrespective of the circumstances or condition of that life."
About the Author
