Washington — As Republican-led states impose restrictions on abortion within the wake of the Supreme Court docket's choice overturning Roe v. Wade, elevating considerations about how the boundaries will influence entry to reproductive drugs, former Vice President Mike Pence mentioned he believes there ought to be authorized protections for fertility therapies.
"I absolutely help fertility therapies and I believe they deserve the safety of the regulation," Pence mentioned in an interview with "Face the Nation" that aired Sunday. "They gave us nice consolation in these lengthy and difficult years that we struggled with infertility in our marriage."
Pence and his spouse, Karen, have first-hand expertise with fertility remedy. The previous vice chairman revealed in his new e book, "So Assist Me God," that the couple struggled for greater than 5 years with infertility, and his spouse underwent IVF quite a few occasions. "So Assist Me God" is printed by Simon & Schuster, which is a division of Paramount World, as is CBS Information.
"I will always remember the day that I referred to as residence, driving off to a piece appointment, and Karen answered the cellphone and mentioned 'Pleased Father's Day.' And our son would come alongside, then a daughter, then one other daughter, all inside three years. We had been busy, however joyful," he advised "Face the Nation."
Pence, who staunchly opposes abortion, added that he additionally believes that because the nation navigates the brand new panorama with out the constitutional proper to an abortion, "we are able to shield the unborn."
"We are able to come alongside girls in disaster pregnancies, and we are able to help the new child with equal vigor," he mentioned. "And that is the problem that I will be articulating all throughout this nation, to leaders in cities massive and small, that if we provide you with precept and compassion for the unborn, for newborns, for moms with sudden pregnancies, we are able to win the reason for life in America."
Pence has lengthy been a champion of limiting abortion entry and has made the problem a cornerstone of his political agenda, from his days within the Home to serving as Indiana's governor to being elected vice chairman. And whereas some Republicans shied away from discussing abortion within the run-up to the midterm elections, Pence embraced the problem, reiterating his long-held perception on "Face the Nation" that Roe "could be despatched to the ash heap of historical past."
"The Dobbs choice this summer season that I used to be so grateful to see, the vast majority of which was made up by Supreme Court docket justices that we appointed and confirmed to the court docket, actually gave the nation a brand new starting for all times," he mentioned, referencing the Supreme Court docket choice reversing Roe. "And it did return the query of abortion to the states and the American folks."
Within the wake of the excessive court docket's blockbuster ruling, Republican-led state legislatures acted shortly to move payments banning abortion. On the federal degree, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, launched laws to impose a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks of being pregnant.
Pence mentioned he would have supported Graham's 15-week ban "as a starting" if he had been in Congress, however he believes the legislative motion will happen on the state degree.
"It could take as lengthy to revive the sanctity of life to the middle of American regulation in all 50 states because it did to overturn Roe v. Wade, however people who know me and my household know that as long as we stay, we'll search to be concerning the enterprise of life on this nation and doing our half to help sanctity of life," he mentioned.
On the problem of same-sex marriage, Pence mentioned that as a Christian, he believes marriage is between a person and a girl, however famous that the Supreme Court docket has held the Structure ensures the correct to same-sex marriage.
"We are able to disagree with Supreme Court docket choices, however we won't disobey them," he mentioned. "I respect the pronouncements of the Court docket. And I really suppose it is simply as vital as we go ahead as a nation, that we make it clear that we do not consider in discrimination towards anybody due to who they're, who they love, or what they consider."
Nonetheless, Pence emphasised the necessity for protections for non secular liberty.
"The power to stay, to work, to worship, in a way in response to the dictates of your conscience, and I believe we're getting there," he mentioned. "I believe we're shifting ahead as a nation and I look ahead to persevering with to precise my values, however categorical them with compassion for each American whether or not they share my values or not."