Marco Rubio doesn't believe Zika-infected pregnant women should be able to have abortions

Marco Rubio.
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

In an interview with Politico, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) said he does not think pregnant women with the Zika virus should have the right to an abortion.

The Zika virus is linked to severe birth defects in babies born to infected mothers, including microcephaly. "I understand a lot of people disagree with my view — but I believe that all human life is worthy of protection of our laws," Rubio said Saturday. "And when you present it in the context of Zika or any prenatal condition, it's a difficult question and a hard one. But if I'm going to err, I'm going to err on the side of life." He added that his stance remains the same even if a pregnant woman believes her child will be born with severe microcephaly.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.