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WTAS: Rubio’s Pro-Life Legislation for Post-Roe America Receives Widespread Coverage

Jul 12, 2022 | Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announced the framework for the Providing for Life Act, comprehensive legislation to provide support for pregnant mothers and children, in response to the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Rubio explained the framework in an op-ed in the Washington Examiner. See press highlights below. 
 
Washington Examiner: “Rubio unveils ‘pro-family’ framework after Dobbs ruling” (Kate Scanlon, Washington Examiner, 6/24/2022) 

  • As the Supreme Court struck down its Roe v. Wade decision in its ruling Friday in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) unveiled a corresponding legislative proposal he said would support mothers and babies. 
  • “Today’s decision was a victory for the unborn and mothers in America. But our work is not done,” Rubio told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “Washington can and must do more for mothers, babies and young children. My plan will lay the groundwork for this support and empower communities to better serve families across the country.” 
  • A framework for Rubio’s Providing for Life Act, released Friday by his office, says the bill would combine previous proposals he has advocated, including making the adoption tax credit fully refundable, further expanding the child tax credit, including making it available for parents of an unborn child, as well as his New Parents Act, a proposed bill he introduced with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) that would allow new parents, including adoptive parents, to use up to three months of their Social Security benefits to finance paid parental leave.

 
Washington Examiner: “Supreme Court abortion decision draws congressional GOP praise and Democratic ire” (Kate Scanlon, Washington Examiner, 6/24/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) unveiled Friday legislation he said would support new mothers and babies to correspond with the decision. He said in a statement that the court’s ruling “to allow states to regulate abortion was right constitutionally and morally.” 
  • “For nearly half a century, a nation founded on God-given rights denied those rights to its most vulnerable citizens and more than 63 million Americans never got the chance to pursue their dreams,” Rubio said. “But we must not only continue to take steps to protect the unborn, we must also do more to support mothers and their babies. I will soon introduce a bill to ensure we do everything we can to give every child the opportunity to fully access the promise of America.”

 
The Blaze: “With the pro-life movement’s phase one complete, Marco Rubio outlines his vision for a ‘post-Roe America’” (Chris Pandolfo, The Blaze, 6/24/2022)

  • Pro-life Republicans have for years faced accusations from Democrats that they do not care what happens to families once children are born, that they have no plan to help expecting mothers with unplanned pregnancies. In answer to this accusation, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has put forward “a pro-life plan for post-Roe America.” 
  • In a framework released Friday, Rubio outlined his vision for what Congress should do to support pregnant women and new moms, as well as those with young children, now that states are permitted to regulate or outlaw abortion. 
  • His proposals, collectively called the “Providing for Life Act,” would create a federal paid leave program, expand child tax credits, and make several reforms to child support and welfare programs.

 
The Atlantic: “America Is About to See Just How Pro-life Republicans Actually Are” (Elaine Godfrey, The Altantic, 6/28/2022)

  • Senator Marco Rubio released a slate of proposals to support pregnant women and families. 

 
News Nation: “How will America care for more pregnant women?” (Cassie Buchman, News Nation, 6/26/2022)

  • U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) also released framework for legislation he said would support expectant families. It includes using Social Security benefits to finance parental leave; expanding the Child Tax Credit for children under 6; and adding funds to the Women, Infants and Children program, known as WIC, which supports poor mothers and young children.

 
Washington Post: “The nominal ways Biden could expand abortion rights” (Amber Philips, Washington Post, 6/27/2022)

  • Here, there could be some room for bipartisan action. Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who, like most Republicans, celebrated the fall of Roe, is introducing legislation focused on this. 
  • He said in a statement that the government needs to expand the child tax credit for working families. 
  • He wants more federal support to help mothers carry a pregnancy to term: “Expectant mothers — especially those who are surprised by, and unprepared for, pregnancy — require additional support in the form of mentorship, counseling, medical care and more,” he said.

 
Washington Post: “Opinion: The pro-life movement’s work is just beginning” (O. Carter Snead, Mary Ann Glendon, Washington Post, 6/29/2022)

  • At the federal level, Republican [Sen.] Marco Rubio of Florida…announced the Providing for Life Act. This legislation would help women through a variety of measures — including paid parental leave, increased child tax credits, enhanced federal nutrition programs, anti-discrimination protections for pregnant college students, expanded child-support enforcement and support for adoption.

 
Florida Daily: “With Roe v. Wade Overturned, Marco Rubio Readies the Providing for Life Act” (Kevin Derby, Florida Daily, 6/28/2022)

  • With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on Friday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced the framework for the “Providing for Life Act” which he billed as “comprehensive support for pregnant and new moms, as well as young children.”

 
AP: “After Roe: Dems challenge GOP to show they care for mothers” (Josh Boak, AP, 6/28/2022)

  • Following the Supreme Court ruling, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said on Twitter, “I will soon introduce a proposal to support mothers and their babies so that every child has a real opportunity to pursue the promise of America.” 
  • His proposal would allow for paid family leave, but it would require parents to use their Social Security benefits and delay retirement. It would also expand payments from the child tax credit, but not every parent would be eligible for full benefits as Biden allowed with his one-year expansion of the credit in 2021. 
  • Announcing the framework in a Washington Examiner editorial, Rubio said, “What we need is a pro-life plan for post-Roe America.”

 
The Daily Signal: “Here’s Where to Go If You Need Help With Your Unexpected Pregnancy” (Douglas Blair, The Daily Signal, 6/28/2022)

  • Mississippi has a similar funding stream and a handful of other states have this as well. So I think we’ll see more and more of this and certainly new and creative bills at the federal level. I know Sen. [Marco] Rubio introduced a new bill on Friday that is along these lines and more, and so I’m excited to see more and more of this at the federal level.

 
The Week: “Where does the American pro-life movement go from here?” (Joel Mathis, The Week, 6/28/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation that would expand the child tax credit and provide other support for working families. “We can and must do more for unborn children and their mothers,” he said in a press release. 

 
Roll Call: “Biden administration announces actions to protect abortion rights” (Sandhya Raman, Roll Call, 6/28/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. released last week a framework of policies that would expand the federal child tax credit, strengthen the child support enforcement rule, and fund crisis pregnancy centers. He said the policies are necessary as the next step to support women and families.

 
Washington Examiner: “On abortion, it’s time for conservatives to put our money where our mouths have been” (Nicole Russell, Washington Examiner, 6/29/2022)

  • Conservatives can’t leave their own endeavors entirely up to the government, although that shouldn’t be immediately discounted either. There’s no reason Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) paid leave program shouldn’t be up for strong consideration, for example. 

 
Orlando Sentinel: “Roe v. Wade abortion ruling could shake up Florida elections” Steve Lemongello, Orlando Sentinel, 6/29/2022)

  • At the federal level, longtime abortion opponent Marco Rubio is pushing his proposals to “do more for unborn children and their mothers,” including expanding the federal child tax credit, making the adoption tax fully refundable and allowing new parents to pull from their Social Security benefits. 

 
Business Insider: “Conservatives tossed out Roe v. Wade. Now some are pressuring the GOP to soften its resistance to financially supporting families or risk a ‘severe’ backlash” (Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Business Insider, 6/29/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida introduced a “pro-life” framework shortly after the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade. “For years, I have emphasized that Congress can and must do more for unborn children and their mothers,” Rubio said in a statement. “We need to adopt pro-life policies that support families, rather than destroy them.” 

 
Axios: “Anti-abortion rights movement struggles to find post-Roe North Star” (Alayna Treene, Axios, 7/10/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example, has introduced a bill to expand the child tax credit, provide for parental leave and create a national clearinghouse for maternal resources.

 
The Palm Beach Post: “Editorial: Roe decision puts focus on social services” (Palm Beach Post Editorial Board, The Palm Beach Post, 7/3/2022

  • Sen. Marco Rubio is chiming in, too, announcing an idea on Twitter that would “support mothers and their babies so that every child has a real opportunity to pursue the promise of America.” The proposal includes a limited expansion of payments from the child tax credit and would allow for paid family leave, if those participants use their Social Security benefits and delay retirement. Such is life in the post-Roe world.   

 
The Guardian: “After Roe, are Republicans willing to expand the social safety net?” (Chris Stein, The Guardian, 7/5/2022)

  • In the past weeks, Senate Republicans have announced legislation to expand aid to families, casting their proposals as “pro-life” responses to the end of Roe. Florida’s Marco Rubio has published a plan that would allow families to pull from their social security benefits to fund paid family leave, expand a tax credit meant to help families with children, while also allowing religious groups to play a greater role in federal social service programs.

 
U.S. News: “Biden Strategizes With Democratic Governors to Protect Abortion Rights” (Susan Milligan, U.S. News, 7/1/2022)

  • Some big businesses have already declared they will pay for employees to travel to other states for abortion care, angering Republicans who want to make it illegal for a state resident to go elsewhere for a legal abortion. Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, has proposed legislation that would disallow companies from deducting such costs as business expenses.

 
LA Times: Column: “The GOP may rue the day Roe was overturned” (Jonah Goldberg, LA Times, 6/28/2022)

  • Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) hailed the court’s decision. “But,” he added, “we must not only continue to take steps to protect the unborn, we must also do more to support mothers and their babies.”
  • He promised to “soon introduce a bill to ensure we do everything we can to give every child the opportunity to fully access the promise of America.”

 
Deseret News: “Perspective: Critics say the right only cares about fetuses. They’re not paying attention” (Patrick Brown, Deseret News, 6/28/2022) 

  • One of the best examples of this on the right is Rubio’s plan. After the Dobbs decision came out, he released a suite of policies aimed at pregnant and new moms and their children. Some, to his credit, Rubio had previously proposed before, such as a creative parental leave mechanism and ensuring that pregnant college students are aware of their rights and resources available to them.

 
El American: “Senator Rubio’s Pro-Family Plan to Support New Mothers and Children, Explained” (Daniel Chang, El American, 6/28/2022)

  • Last Friday, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the main points of a new pro-family plan he will introduce to provide financial aid and support to pregnant women, new moms, and young children. The bill comes as a pro-family legislative response in the wake of the overturning of Roe by the Supreme Court. Senator Rubio said that the bill would “make a real difference to American parents and children in need.”
  • Rubio’s Providing for Life Act is the latest in a growing push by some Republican lawmakers to change the party’s stance toward social support for families. 

 
Jacksonville’s News4JAX (WJXT Jacksonville, 6/24/2022)

  • “Florida Senator Marco Rubio acknowledged the struggle in his statement after the opinion was released. He discussed a plan for a post-Roe America supporting mothers while they are pregnant and after they give birth.” 
  • “In part, Senator Rubio’s plan would extend the federal child tax credit and allow pregnant mothers to collect that money before the baby is born. Senator Rubio also talked about easing the burden on parents to allow them to pull Social Security benefits to pay off their time or pay for their time off work. And finally, Senator Rubio ended his plan with the need for better sexual education and nutritional aid to improve maternal health.”

 
Tampa Bay’s News Channel 8 (WFLA Tampa Bay, 6/26/2022)

  • “Senator Marco Rubio laying out a new plan for a post row America that includes letting pregnant mothers claim the child tax credit for unborn children and letting them claim child support during pregnancy.”

 
Tampa Bay’s Great 38 (WTTA Tampa Bay, 6/24/2022)

  • “Rubio is proposing the Providing for Life Act legislation that includes reforms to existing programs and seeking funds to be directed to wick paid parental leave and other support services for pregnant and new moms as well as young children.”