Ever since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, many "Red States" have acted accordingly, placing heavy restrictions on, or outright banning, abortion. Thursday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that he has and would support legislation that has exceptions for pregnancies, including pregnancies that have been a result of rape or incest.
While this could admittedly be up for debate, Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10), who is hoping to unseat Rubio in November, is loudly condemning his endorsement. This, however, maybe a political pot meeting a kettle.
In response to Rubio's anti-abortion remarks, Demings says Rubio "has obsessively fought to take away our rights and freedoms." Additionally, should this ban be put in place, "women are forced to put their lives on the line, doctors are thrown in jail, and victims of rape and incest are forced to carry the seed of their rapist."
Demings then alludes to her past career in law enforcement, saying, "I put rapists and abusers behind bars," and that because of Rubio's support for banning abortions due to rape, she is "appalled that Marco Rubio would empower those violent criminals and force even more trauma on America's daughters."
To reiterate, there can be reasoned debate on whether abortion is acceptable for cases of rape and incest.
However, Demings is supportive of completely unrestricted abortion. In July, Demings introduced the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, a legislative measure which would prohibit states from prosecuting those who travel seeking abortions.
This, by proxy, would allow for unrestricted abortions, albeit in a localized fashion. Demings justifies this as "a mother and a woman of faith." Which is an interesting choice of words considering the world's major faiths are opposed to abortion.
Additionally, every Democrat in the House of Representatives, including Demings, has consistently refused to allow a vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Since 2019, the vote has come down 27 times. Demings has stood against the "born alive" bill every single time.
This bill would enforce medical care and treatment for babies who survive abortions and penalize doctors who allow or intentionally kill a baby who survives an abortion.
While Demings, who has been endorsed by NARAL, a pro-abortion group that supports late-term abortions, supports extremist abortion rights, Rubio supports an extreme pro-life position.
So that brings us to a question: who is the real extremist here?
