Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) promised on Sunday that he would sign an abortion ban as president that provided exceptions for rape even though he preferred for pregnant victims to have their rapists' babies.
Following a Saturday night's Republican Presidential Debate on ABC News, host George Stephanopoulos noted during a Sunday interview that Rubio had been hammered for his belief that abortion was wrong even in cases of rape or incest.
"Abortion to me is not a political issue," Rubio insisted. "It's a human rights issue. And so, if [Jeb Bush] wants to make it a political issue, that's his right. For me, it's not."
"I do require an exception for life of the mother because I'm pro-life," he continued. "Number two, as I've said, if they pass a law in Congress that has exceptions, I'll sign it. Because I want to save lives."
"What do you say to that mom when you look her in the eye?" the ABC host wondered.
"It's a terrible situation," Rubio replied. "I mean, a crisis pregnancy, especially as a result of something as horrifying as that, I'm not telling you it's easy. I'm not here saying it's an easy choice. It's a horrifying thing that you've just described."
"I get it," he added. "I really do. And that's why this issue is so difficult. But I believe a human being, an unborn child has a right to live, irrespective of the circumstances of which they were conceived. And I know that the majority of Americans don't agree with me on that."
"And that's why any law that passed will almost certainly have exceptions. And I'll sign it."
