Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday that he would call out former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at this month’s first GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for not pledging to enact a national abortion ban if elected president.
“My former running mate, the governor of Florida and others are suggesting that the Supreme Court returned the question of abortion to the states,” Pence told reporters while touring the Iowa State Fair on Friday.
“I truly do believe it’s vitally important that we seize the opportunity at the national level to advance protections for the right to life, and I’ll do so as president,” he added. “This is a really big issue. It will be on the stage in Milwaukee.” Pence was referring to the scheduled debate on Aug. 23 in Wisconsin.
The former vice president has already recommended federal legislation that would ban abortion nationwide at 15 weeks of pregnancy — a notion that Sen. Tim Scott also supports.
“I’m pro-life and I don’t apologize for it, and this weekend we’re celebrating a historic victory, when one year ago the Supreme Court of the United States sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history,” Pence said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” “I couldn’t be more proud of the some 20 states that advanced protections for the unborn and support for women facing crisis pregnancy.”
“A decisive majority of Americans would support legislation that bans abortion after unborn children are capable of pain at the 15-week mark,” he added. “We cannot rest or relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law.”
As president, Trump appointed three pro-life Supreme Court justices. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the disaster known as Roe v. Wade, sending the issue of abortion back to the states — where it belongs.
As governor, DeSantis has signed legislation banning abortion in Florida at six weeks of pregnancy but has not yet pushed for a national ban.
