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


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.
Rubio called microcephaly a "terrible prenatal condition that kids are born with, and when they are, it's a lifetime of difficulties. So I get it. I'm not pretending to you that that's an easy question you asked me. But I'm pro-life." There are 422 known cases of Zika in Florida, and Rubio said he has voted for every possible Zika bill.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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