Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said in an interview that he does not support abortion in the cases of rape and incest in an interview Thursday evening.
Mr Rubio, who is up for reelection in 2022, was asked by CBS4 News in Miami’s Jim DeFede whether he opposed abortion in all cases, including rape, incest and human trafficking.
“I believe that abortion is the killing of an unborn human being and that all human beings are entitled to the dignity and protection of life,” he said.
Mr Rubio added that he would support bills that ban abortion which have exceptions for rape and incest, saying he’s supported them in the past.
“I will support any bill that saves lives,” he said. “I do not believe that the dignity and the worth of human life is tied to the circumstances of their conception. But I recognize that that's not a majority position. And therefore, I’ve always said I support bills that have exceptions. I understand this is not an easy issue.”
Mr Rubio has previously stated this position going back to his 2016 run for president.
Mr DeFede asked Mr Rubio that if there were enough votes in the Senate, he would support legislation to ban abortion regardless of the way a pregnancy was conceived.
“I believe that human life is worthy of protection,” he said. “These are horrifying circumstances you’re describing. They’re rare, thank God. They happen, they’re rare. My whole point is to be consistent on this issue, I believe we should be protecting from the moment of conception to the moment of birth and that our laws should reflect that.”
Representative Val Demings won the Democratic nomination to challenge Mr Rubio this November. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.
