Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, said in an interview that he does not support abortion in rape and incest cases in an interview Thursday night.
Mr. Rubio, who is up for re-election in 2022, was asked by CBS4 News’ Jim DeFede in Miami if he opposed abortion in all circumstances, including rape, incest and human trafficking.
“I believe that abortion is the killing of the unborn and that all people are entitled to the dignity and protection of life,” he said.
Mr Rubio added that he would support bills banning abortion, with exceptions for rape and incest, and said he had supported them in the past.
“I will support any bill that saves lives,” he said. “I don’t believe that the dignity and worth of human life has anything to do with the circumstances in which they were conceived. But I admit it’s not a majority position. So I’ve always said I support bills with exceptions. I understand this is not an easy question.”
Mr Rubio has previously said the stance dates back to his 2016 presidential campaign.
Mr. DeFeder asked Mr. Rubio if he had enough votes in the Senate that he would support legislation to ban abortion, regardless of how the pregnancy took place.
“I believe human life is worth protecting,” he said. “These are the terrible situations you describe. They are rare, thank God. They happen and they are rare. My whole point is to be consistent on this issue, I believe we should be from the moment of conception to birth That moment is protected and our laws should reflect that.”
Representative Val Demings won the Democratic nomination in November to challenge Mr. Rubio. The Cook Political Report rated the race a Lean Republican.
