- Today, CBN Newscongressional correspondent,

Abigail Robertson, caughtup with Senator Marco Rubio.

The Florida Republicangave us his thoughts

on the shutdown, the President's authority

to declare a national emergency,

and new pro-life legislation he's set

to introduce this week.

And Abigail joins usnow from Capitol Hill.

Abigail, you spoke withSenator Rubio earlier today.

How does he feel about theongoing government shutdown?

- That's right, Jenna.

I spoke with Senator Rubioabout this government shutdown,

and unfortunately, hedid not instill much hope

that the end is anywhere in sight.

Take a look.

- Well, the only way youcan end something like this

is through a negotiation,

and negotiation requirestwo sides to be talking

and it requires compromise.

There's not much talking going on

and Nancy Pelosi, SpeakerPelosi's made clear

that she's not willing to compromise.

And I just don't understandbecause, for years,

we Republicans have been lectured

about needing to compromise, but now,

they aren't offering anycompromise on the Democratic side.

I don't see the commentatorsout there lecturing them.

And I guess compromise means

when two or threeRepublicans join Democrats,

but not the other way around.

- Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

echoed that same sentiment this afternoon,

really saying that there's notreally much of a compromise

that's being floated, that bothof them are wiling to agree

to re-open the government.

They were both blaming the other side

for this continued shutdown,

and Senator Mitch McConnell said that,

if the government isnot re-opened next week,

he will cancel theSenate's planned recess.

- Abigail, what doesSenator Rubio have to say

about the President declaringa national emergency

to fund the wall?

- He says he agrees thatthere is a national emergency

at the southern border,

but he thinks that declaringa national emergency

to get those border fundswould set a dangerous precedent

so he does not want thePresident to do that.

Here's what he had to say on that.

- I believe it's an emergency.

I would hope he would not dothat, and the reason why is

'cause I think it sets avery dangerous precedent.

Future presidents couldlatch onto that and use it

to declare their ownemergencies for policy aims

that we may not be in favor of.

The highest standard we holdhere is the Constitution,

and under that Constitution,

our system of governmenthas checks and balances.

That sort of executive use of power,

I think exceeds it, potentially,

and certainly in spirit, if not in law,

and I hope he doesn't do it

despite me believing its an emergency.

I think the best way to solve this

is for the electedrepresentatives of this people

to do what we're supposed to be doing

in the federal government,

and that is protecting ourcountry by securing our borders

and dealing with a humanitarian crisis,

which is the biggest issue here.

You have families and ahuge increase in families

with children trying tounlawfully cross the US border.

They are overwhelming our border agents

and it's creating ahumanitarian catastrophe.

That has to be dealt with.

- Senator Rubio also tooka jab at the White House

and leadership, saying thatthese funding negotiations

should have been broughtforth a long time ago,

long before the shutdowndeadline was approaching

to prevent the governmentfrom ever being shut down

and really to have givensenators and lawmakers the time

to find a compromise beforethese federal workers

were forced to stay home andtheir paychecks were withheld.

- Abigail, in your interview,

you also asked Senator Rubio, I know,

about pro-life legislation

that he's introducing aheadof this week's March for Life.

What can you tell us about that?

- Well this week, we're seeinga lot of pro-life legislation

being introduced in boththe House and Senate.

The bill that Senator Rubio put forth

is really addressing theadults who are taking minors

across state lines for thepurposes of having an abortion

and these minors, whoare not their children,

and they're taking them across state lines

to make sure that the parents

do not know that theirchildren are getting abortions.

So he's trying to make this illegal.

Here's a little more aboutwhat he has to say about that.

- The one I'm sponsoringunder my name is CIANA,

which is a bill thatbasically makes it a crime

to move a minor across statelines for purposes of abortion

unless their parents have been notified.

May states have parental notification laws

and some states do not,

and so someone will take a minor,

it could be, by the way,in the case of an adult

that impregnated a minorand wants to cover it up,

they take the minor, drivethem across state lines

to a state without parentalnotification requirements,

and they have the abortion there,

and that would make it a federal crime.

- [Abigail] Do you think there's any hope

you'll see any Democrat support for that?

- No, you know, they're pretty locked in

and radical on that position.

They say they're pro-choice,but in this particular case,

it goes beyond that.

It is the ability of somepeople to evade state laws

by being able to cross state lines.

But they're opposed to anything

because they will only do, sadly,

whatever Planned Parenthood

tells them they're allowed to do.