Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) plans to take on social and cultural issues in the latest installment of his policy speeches outlining a new conservative agenda.
“Senator Rubio will discuss the values needed for economic success in the 21st century: values like hard work, discipline, and the importance of family,” an aide to the senator tells National Review Online, previewing his Wednesday speech at the Catholic University of America’s Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies.
“No one is born with those values, and reinvigorating them begins with reinvigorating the institutions that teach and reinforce those values,” the aide says. ”While government can’t solve these problems alone, Senator Rubio will propose education reforms, ideas to encourage innovation and job creation, and ensure that government policies do not penalize marriage. And, in addition to doing all that we can to encourage and strengthen marriage, he’ll recognize that we must also do all we can to help children born in broken families overcome their challenges.”
And, as Democrats hope to hold the Senate by elevating contraception into a national political issue, Rubio will offer a defense of conservative views on abortion and marriage.
“Of course, you can’t give a speech on values without discussing controversial issues like gay marriage and abortion,” the aide says. “He will defend states’ right to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and explain why he believes that the right to life outweighs the right to choose an abortion.”