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Senator Rubio Says No Abortions For Pregnant Women With Zika

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Senator Marco Rubio of Florida says pregnant women infected by the Zika virus should not be allowed to get an abortion, even if the virus might cause microcephaly and birth defects, CBS News reports.

The former presidential candidate sat down for an interview with Politico, and said that while he understands people disagreeing with his stance, he thinks “all human life is worthy of protection of our laws.” While Rubio admits that Zika, or any prenatal condition, makes the issue more complicated, he sides with life.

In the US, Rubio’s home state has been hit the hardest by the mosquito-borne virus. Florida was one of the first known places where Zika was transmitted locally. There have been 16 documented cases in Miami so far.

Rubio says while he agrees that Zika does present a high risk of birth defects, his stance on abortion will not change.

I’m not pretending to you that that’s an easy question you asked me. But I’m pro-life…I believe all human life should be protected by our law, irrespective of the circumstances or condition of that life.

These recent comments on Zika and abortion are consistent with Rubio’s past positions on the issue of abortion as a whole. During his presidential campaign, he said he opposed abortion regardless of circumstances, such as rape or incest.

As for the Florida Zika outbreak, Rubio voted for House funding to fight the virus and was the first Republican to co-sponsor President Barack Obama’s $1.9-billion proposal for Zika measures. In the end, the bill was not passed.

The World Health Organization classified Zika as an international health emergency in February after an outbreak swept across South America and the Caribbean. There are currently no vaccines or treatments for the virus, though several companies are racing to develop both in light of its rapid spread.

Over 1,800 cases of Zika have been recorded in the country, mostly from people who had flown in from abroad. The virus, previously thought to inflict flu-like symptoms in infected patients, has been found to cause neurological problems, including microcephaly — a condition where a newborn is born with an abnormally small head that hampers brain development.

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