With this week’s shocking unraveling of the Supreme Court’s potential intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, the discussion over abortion rights has taken center stage in the political landscape. One lawmaker who’s championing the landmark ruling is Florida Rep. Val Demings (D), who’s vying to unseat Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R).
In campaign appearances this week in both Jacksonville and Orlando, Demings vowed that abortion “is an issue that we’re going to talk about on this trail.”
After the leak that shocked the nation, Senator Rubio introduced the No Tax Breaks for Radical Corporate Activism Act, which “would prohibit employers from deducting expenses related to their employees’ abortion travel costs or so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ for young children of their employees.”
Rubio championed the legislation, arguing that the country’s “tax code should be pro-family and promote a culture of life.”
Demings, who’s hoping to unseat the Florida Republican in November, made campaign stops in Jacksonville and Orlando this week, telling supporters that abortion is a topic that her campaign will be focusing on as the midterm election draws near.
In Jacksonville, Demings told the crowd, “when I decided to start my family I didn’t have the Governor’s permission. I didn’t ask my Congress for permission. I dang sure didn’t ask my Senator’s permission. And they need to get out of our business and leave the personal decisions, the intimate decision to women.”
In Orlando, Demings once again affirmed that it is “going to fight about it, not just for women, but for men too, who believe that women should have the ability to make their own decisions.”
Rubio, in contrast to Demings, opposes legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, and Elizabeth Gregory, the spokesperson for Rubio’s campaign, commented that the Florida Republican “has been a consistent champion for the rights of unborn children,” adding that “Demings is a radical who supports abortion up until the moment of birth while forcing Florida taxpayers to pay the bill.”
