Marco Rubio says pro-choice Democrats who criticize him for doubting man-made climate change should be questioned on why they support abortion when "it's a proven fact" that "human life begins at conception."
Appearing Wednesday on Sean Hannity's radio show, the Florida Republican accused his critics of hypocrisy for rejecting what the senator described as "scientific consensus."
"Here's what I always get a kick out of, and it shows you the hypocrisy. All these people always wag their finger at me about science and settled science. Let me give you a bit of settled science that they'll never admit to," Rubio said. "The science is settled, it's not even a consensus, it is a unanimity, that human life beings at conception. So I hope the next time someone wags their finger about science, they'll ask one of these leaders on the left: 'Do you agree with the consensus of scientists that say that human life begins at conception?' I'd like to see someone ask that question."
"That's not even a debatable thing," Rubio said. "It's a proven fact. That's a scientific consensus they conveniently choose to ignore."
The debate, however, isn't nearly as clear-cut as Rubio claims. So-called personhood bills have sparked debate on when a fetus should be considered an individual with full legal rights. Pro-life advocates argue that these rights begin at the moment of fertilization; others say it's when a fetus is considered viable. The debate has played out in statehouses across the country, with legislatures deciding at what point in pregnancy abortion should still be legal.
Earlier this week, Rubio told ABC News that he does not believe humans are responsible for current climate trends.
"I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it," Rubio said, "and I do not believe that the laws that they propose we pass will do anything about it, except it will destroy our economy."
After receiving backlash for his remarks, Rubio sought to clarify his position during a Tuesday appearance at the National Press Club.
"I've never disputed that the climate is changing, and I've pointed out that climate to some extent is always changing, it's never static," Rubio said. "There are things that we can do to become more efficient in our use of energies, there are things we can do to develop alternative sources of energy."
Rubio defended those remarks during the Hannity interview.
"I think the scientific certainty that some claimed isn't necessarily there," he said.
(h/t Politico)
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