Sen. Marco Rubio is considering introducing in the U.S. Senate a bill to ban some abortions. (Photo by Gage Skidmore.)
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Sen. Marco Rubio, who has gained some enemies on the far-right of the GOP due to his push for immigration reform, is considering introducing a bill that would ban some abortions in order to shore up his support among conservatives.
Rubio, R-Florida, has been fighting conservative backlash after he joined a bipartisan coalition in the U.S. Senate, which helped pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship and tougher border security.
However, he might have found a way out of the GOP doghouse.
According to The Tampa Bay Times:
Rubio is considering becoming lead sponsor of legislation to ban abortions 20 weeks after fertilization — essentially the same proposal that in Texas recently prompted a 13-hour filibuster by Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Anti-abortion groups have asked Rubio to take the lead, and while his office says no final decision has been made, the senator is expected to sign on this week after returning from a family vacation.
The bill, which has zero chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate, would make exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother — but not for cases when a mother’s health is deemed in danger.
Rubio has been a consistent supporter of restricting abortions and has said he would support overturning Roe vs. Wade.
Because the bill won’t go anywhere in the Senate, this could be a tough call for Rubio, even though he has supported abortion bans in the past.
If a 20-week abortion ban is introduced in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has no intention of scheduling the bill for floor action, a leadership aide said Monday. The bill might not even get its day in committee. But anti-abortion rights backers think sponsorship by Rubio, a possible 2016 GOP presidential nominee, would be enough to bring the issue into a national media focus — whether or not there is a floor fight.
Rubio has not been in contact with his office about sponsoring the legislation and is in Florida until Tuesday, an adviser said, adding that there are many other Republican senators also interested in sponsoring the legislation. But because of a story last week by The Weekly Standard — which reported that Rubio had signed on as the bill’s lead sponsor — Rubio is now widely expected to have some role shepherding the bill. He will return to the Capitol Tuesday to face loads of questions on his plans regarding the legislation.
According to The Washington Post, Rubio’s possible sponsorship already has anti-abortion groups excited, but many are cautious about the fact that such a ban would likely not pass in the Senate anytime soon.
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, whose political action committee funds antiabortion candidates, said Republicans should welcome the opportunity to engage on the national debate over what limits need to be placed on abortions and abortion providers.
“It’s not that Republicans can’t be smart and savvy, it’s all a matter of time, focus and attention,” she said, adding that coalescing around issues such as a 20-week ban on abortion could rally the public. “True leadership on this is you bring the public to a point of consensus.”
Republicans were burned on the issue last year, Dannenfelser said, because of the controversial remarks and lack of an “overarching narrative in terms of what we’re talking about on the abortion issue.”
Several Republican politicians have been burned for seeking out abortion bans. As the Post reports, former U.S. Reps. Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock — as well as U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., have all seen significant national backlash from backing anti-abortion legislation in the past two years.