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Washington, DC --- Marco Rubio continues to solidify his reputation as one of the most extreme Republican candidates when it comes to women’s health. Yesterday, Marco Rubio released an advertisement attacking Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive health care, even though millions of people across the country rely on the non-profit health care provider for life-saving essential reproductive health care.

Quote from Dawn Laguens, Vice President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

"Marco Rubio’s American dream is a woman’s worst nightmare. If he had his way, women wouldn't be able to access safe, legal abortion --- even in cases of rape and incest --- insurance coverage for birth control under the ACA would be eliminated; and millions would lose access to basic reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood."  

This is just the latest of a long line of attacks made by Rubio against the basic reproductive health care millions of women and men across the country rely on.

BACKGROUND: Marco Rubio’s Dangerous Record on Women’s Health:

FACT: Marco Rubio wants to ban safe and legal abortion, even in the case of rape or incest:

  • Marco Rubio opposes safe and legal abortion: Rubio said he is adamantly against abortion, and “even if 100 percent of my constituents were for it,” he would still be against it. [Republican Majority Campaign, 9/6/09]

  • Has said that he “personally” doesn’t believe in exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman: On Fox News’ ‘Hannity,’ host Sean Hannity asked Rubio about his position on abortion exceptions, Rubio’s response was, ““If I’m president and the only bill that can pass is one that has exceptions, that means we’re still going to save millions of lives. But I personally believe, that life begins at conception and all human life is worthy of protection.” [FOX News, 4/13/15]

  • Doesn’t support exceptions for rape or incest: “Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was quick to clarify Thursday night that he did not support rape and incest exemptions in abortion bans after GOP debate host Megyn Kelly asked about his stance on the issue. He laid out his explicit opposition, noting that "future generations will look back and call us barbarians for murdering millions of babies." [International Business Times, 8/6/15]

  • Rubio will support legislation with exceptions for rape and incest, because “I’ll support any legislation that reduces the number of abortions”: On MSNBC’s Meet the Press, he told host Chuck Todd, “I'll support any legislation that reduces the number of abortions. So, that means a 20-week abortion ban. At five months, you will recognize a child as a human being in an ultrasound image. And I'll support that. That doesn't obviously cover the whole gamut. But it reduces the number of abortions. I'll support any legislation that reduces the number of abortions. And there are those that have that exception. What I've never done is said I require that it must have or not have exceptions.”[Meet the Press, 8/9/15]

  • Marco Rubio wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision: Rubio has called Roe v. Wade “devastating” [SBA List Speech, 2/1/12, accessed via YouTube, posted 2/3/12]

FACT: Marco Rubio won’t protect women’s access to affordable birth control:

  • Rubio Introduced A Bill That Would Allow Any Employer To Refuse Birth Control Coverage By Claiming A Religious Objection: Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill that would allow any employer to refuse to cover birth control by claiming to have a religious objection, [Editorial, New York Times, 2/11/12; Religious Freedom Restoration Act, S. 2043, 1/30/12]

  • Rubio’s response to question about employees who lose coverage: workers can “pay for it themselves” or “work elsewhere”: McClatchy Washington Bureau reports that Rubio said, "If an employee wants birth control, that worker could simply pay for it themselves or just choose to work elsewhere.” [McClatchy Washington Bureau, 2/5/12]

  • Opposes the Affordable Care Act’s Contraception Mandate:Rubio voted for the Blunt Amendment and was co-sponsor of the bill: Senator Rubio is listed as a co-sponsor for the Blunt Amendment to allow employers to opt-out of contraception coverage. [Roll Call 24, S.Amdt. 1520 to S.Amdt. 1730 to S. 1813, 3/1/12]

  • Supported the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision; won’t stand up for a woman’s access to no co-pay birth control: Rubio supported the Hobby Lobby decision that would give employers a permission slip to deny their employees access to birth control coverage, returning women to the days of paying up to $600 a year for birth control. Rubio didn’t just praise the decision, in his statement he also called for the Affordable Care Act “to be entirely repealed and replaced.” Rubio would not only let businesses deny their female employees birth control coverage based on their religious beliefs, he would also also deny millions of women the preventive healthcare services that are now covered by the Affordable Care Act.  [Tampa Bay Times, 6/30/14]

FACT: Marco Rubio doesn’t support policies that help women elevate their economic status:

  • Rubio voted against The Paycheck Fairness Act, said the bill was about scoring “political points.” According to the Miami Herald, “The Paycheck Fairness Act requires businesses to show that wage discrepancies between men and women are not based on gender. The measure also bans retaliation against workers who reveal their wages or try to get wage information from their employers. Rubio called the legislation more about ‘scoring political points’ than solving any problems.”  [Miami Herald, Naked Politics Blog, 6/5/12]

  • Rubio likened the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to “an effort to help trial lawyers collect their fees and file lawsuits.” [CNN, 4/7/14]

  • Marco Rubio’s introduced a paid family leave plan that would not guarantee that paid leave is afforded to all workers:  “his plan would do little to change the country’s status quo. It could, in fact, make things even more unequal when it comes to who can get some compensated time off to recover and bond with a new baby and who has to scramble to afford unpaid time away from work….Rubio’s plan probably won’t change this landscape. It might entice some companies that are on the fence about offering paid leave to make the switch and get a nice tax break in the process. But what he’s proposed wouldn’t cover the cost of providing leave on its own.” [New Republic, 9/29/15]

  • Marco Rubio wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act: Rubio said he wants the Affordable Care Act “to be entirely repealed and replaced”: He would deny millions of women the preventive healthcare services that are now covered by the Affordable Care Act. 1,801,000 women in Florida have received expanded preventive services without cost-sharing, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. [Tampa Bay Times, 6/30/14;5 Years Later: How the Affordable Care Act is Working for Florida]

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