Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., explained his stance on abortion while pointing out the "outrageous position" held on the issue by his opponent, Rep. Val Demings.
"I believe innocent human life is worthy of the protection of our laws, but I have voted and would vote for bills, if I were in the state legislature, that had restrictions because I’m in support of any bill that saves lives," Rubio said during an interview with NBC 6’s Jackie Nespral.
"But people like Val Demings believe abortion should be paid by taxpayers, at any time, including potentially the day the child is due for delivery. That's an outrageous position … and you have to have that position if you're endorsed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL [Pro-Choice America] the way she is."
Rubio is in a hotly contested race for reelection against Demings, a Democrat who represents part of the Orlando, Florida, area.
Rubio explained why he supported the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"There’s nothing in the Constitution about abortion, and that’s all the Supreme Court said," Rubio told Nespral. "The Supreme Court said there’s nothing in the Constitution about abortion. This is an issue that needs to be decided at the state legislative level just like anything else.
"In fact, before she passed away, [late Justice] Ruth Bader Ginsburg made the same argument in some ways. She argued that, had that process been allowed to continue, America would have found closure one way or the other on that issue. And Roe v. Wade sort of stepped in, invented a constitutional right that didn’t exist, and created 40 years of division over that issue."
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in April signed a law that forbids abortion after 15 weeks gestation, without exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking.
"The overwhelming majority of abortions occur outside of some of these commonly discussed," Rubio told NBC 6. "I know it’s not a majority position; many people probably don’t agree with me, you probably couldn’t pass it and that’s why Florida did a four-month.
"But I certainly think what Florida passed, something I would have voted for while I was in the Legislature, is a very reasonable law, after four months."
Demings has said she supports the right to have an abortion "up to the time of viability of the fetus" based on consultation with a physician, Florida Politics reported.