FARMVILLE, Virginia, October 5, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – The 2016 election offers Americans “a choice, and it is a choice on life,” Governor Mike Pence said at the first, and only, vice presidential debate last night at Longwood University.
In a 90-minute-long debate in which Democrat Tim Kaine interrupted him 79 times, Gov. Pence spoke of his deep-rooted Christian faith and belief in preserving life from the moment of conception.
“For me, the sanctity of life proceeds out of…that ancient principle where God says before you were formed in the womb, I knew you,” he said, citing the Book of Jeremiah. “And so for my first time in public life, I sought to stand with great compassion for the sanctity of life.”
“The state of Indiana has also sought to make sure that we expand alternatives in health care counseling for women, non-abortion alternatives,” he said.
He was about to quote Mother Teresa's words on adoption – only to be cut off by Tim Kaine yet again.
Pence then went on the offense. “What I can't understand is with Hillary Clinton and now Senator Kaine at her side is to support a practice like partial-birth abortion,” he said. “I know, Senator Kaine, you hold pro-life views personally, but the very idea that a child that is almost born into the world could still have their life taken from them is just anathema to me.”
“I know you've historically opposed taxpayer funding of abortion,” he continued, highlighing Kaine’s shifting position on the Hyde amendment. “But Hillary Clinton wants to repeal the longstanding provision in the law where we said we wouldn't use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion.”
“My faith informs my life,” Pence said, subtly contrasting himself with Kaine, who just said a candidate should distinguish between his personal views and public voting record. “For me, begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life.”
Senator Kaine countered that “Gov. Pence wants to repeal Roe v. Wade. He said he wants to put it on the ash heap of history.”
“And we have some young people in the audience who weren't even born when Roe was decided,” Kaine added.
Gov. Pence concluded the segment by saying, “A society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable, the aged, the infirm, the disabled, and the unborn. I believe it with all my heart.”
“And I couldn't be more proud to be standing with a pro-life candidate in Donald Trump,” Pence said.
The question, the next-to-the-last of the event, was the first debate query about social issues since the presidential primaries ended. During the first presidential debate, moderator Lester Holt of NBC News did not ask Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton a single question about abortion, religious liberty, government policies requiring public facilities to give men access to female showers and restrooms, or a host of other social issues. He did, however, ask Mr. Trump about a disparaging comment he made about Hillary Clinton’s appearance, his inquiry about Barack Obama’s birth certificate, and whether the candidates would accept the legitimacy of the election.
The discussion of social issues elicited visceral responses from both sides of the issue. Hillary Clinton tweeted:
Mike Pence: a divisive, anti-woman, anti-LGBT, anti-worker extremist.
No wonder Trump picked him. #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/icAN1P5DN2
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 4, 2016
Planned Parenthood executive vice president Dawn Laguens tweeted:
FACT: Pence cut money from food stamps to give it to “crisis pregnancy counseling.” That's not health care. https://t.co/nRDgYdu7e3
— Dawn Laguens (@dawnlaguens) October 5, 2016
She also complimented his skin cream.
Meanwhile, Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, stated that Pence had no respect for women. She tweeted:
Sadly, @mike_pence sanctity of life does not extend to ppl who need abortion care or others served by clinics he has closed. #VPDebate
— ilyse hogue (@ilyseh) October 5, 2016
But pro-life advocates praised Gov. Pence’s performance.
“Mike Pence showed that social issues matter,” said Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America. “They illuminate the fundamental principle of human dignity that underscores every policy.”
“Gov. Pence hit the nail on the head last night,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List and chair of Donald Trump’s Pro-Life Coalition. “The Clinton-Kaine position in support of abortion on-demand, up until the moment of birth, paid for by taxpayers, is dramatically out of step with the majority of Americans – and even among members of their own party.”
The next presidential debate is Sunday evening at 9 p.m. EDT on CNN. Readers may submit a question they would like to ask the candidates at PresidentialOpenQuestions.com.
Transcript:
Quijano: I'd like to turn to our next segment now. And in this, I'd like to focus on social issues. You have both been open about the role that faith has played in your lives. Can you discuss in detail a time when you struggled to balance your personal faith and a public policy position? Senator Kaine?
Kaine: Yeah, that's an easy one for me, Elaine. It's an easy one. I'm really fortunate. I grew up in a wonderful household with great Irish Catholic parents. My mom and dad are sitting right here. I was educated by Jesuits at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. My 40th reunion is in 10 days.
And I worked with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras, now nearly 35 years ago, and they were the heroes of my life. I try to practice my religion in a very devout way and follow the teachings of my church in my own personal life. But I don't believe in this nation, a First Amendment nation, where we don't raise any religion over the other, and we allow people to worship as they please, that the doctrines of any one religion should be mandated for everyone.
For me, the hardest struggle in my faith life was the Catholic Church is against the death penalty and so am I. But I was governor of a state, and the state law said that there was a death penalty for crimes if the jury determined them to be heinous. And so I had to grapple with that.
When I was running for governor, I was attacked pretty strongly because of my position on the death penalty. But I looked the voters of Virginia in the eye and said, look, this is my religion. I'm not going to change my religious practice to get one vote, but I know how to take an oath and uphold the law. And if you elect me, I will uphold the law.
And I was elected, and I did. It was very, very difficult to allow executions to go forward, but in circumstances where I didn't feel like there was a case for clemency, I told Virginia voters I would uphold the law, and I did.
That was a real struggle. But I think it is really, really important that those of us who have deep faith lives don't feel that we could just substitute our own views for everybody else in society, regardless of their views.
Quijano: Governor Pence?
Pence: Well, it's a wonderful question. And my Christian faith is at the very heart of who I am. I was also raised in a wonderful family of faith. It was a church on Sunday morning and grace before dinner.
But my Christian faith became real for me when I made a personal decision for Christ when I was a freshman in college. And I've tried to live that out however imperfectly every day of my life since. And with my wife at my side, we've followed a calling into public service, where we've — we've tried to — we've tried to keep faith with the values that we cherish.
And with regard to when I struggle, I appreciate, and — and — and — I have a great deal of respect for Senator Kaine's sincere faith. I truly do.
Kaine: That's shared.
Pence: But for me, I would tell you that for me the sanctity of life proceeds out of the belief that — that ancient principle that — where God says before you were formed in the womb, I knew you, and so for my first time in public life, I sought to stand with great compassion for the sanctity of life.
The state of Indiana has also sought to make sure that we expand alternatives in health care counseling for women, non-abortion alternatives. I'm also very pleased at the fact we're well on our way in Indiana to becoming the most pro-adoption state in America. I think if you're going to be pro-life, you should — you should be pro- adoption.
But what I can't understand is with Hillary Clinton and now Senator Kaine at her side is to support a practice like partial-birth abortion. I mean, to hold to the view — and I know Senator Kaine, you hold pro-life views personally — but the very idea that a child that is almost born into the world could still have their life taken from them is just anathema to me.
And I cannot — I can't conscience about — about a party that supports that. Or that — I know you've historically opposed taxpayer funding of abortion. But Hillary Clinton wants to — wants to repeal the longstanding provision in the law where we said we wouldn't use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion.
So for me, my faith informs my life. I try and spend a little time on my knees every day. But it all for me begins with cherishing the dignity, the worth, the value of every human life.
Kaine: Elaine, this is a fundamental question, a fundamental question. Hillary and I are both people out of religious backgrounds, from Methodist church experience, which was really formative for her as a public servant.
But we really feel like you should live fully and with enthusiasm the commands of your faith. But it is not the role of the public servant to mandate that for everybody else.
So let's talk about abortion and choice. Let's talk about them. We support Roe v. Wade. We support the constitutional right of American women to consult their own conscience, their own supportive partner, their own minister, but then make their own decision about pregnancy. That's something we trust American women to do that.
And we don't think that women should be punished, as Donald Trump said they should, for making the decision to have an abortion.
Governor Pence wants to repeal Roe v. Wade. He said he wants to put it on the ash heap of history. And we have some young people in the audience who weren't even born when Roe was decided. This is pretty important. Before Roe v. Wade, states could pass criminal laws to do just that, to punish women if they made the choice to terminate a pregnancy.
I think you should live your moral values. But the last thing, the very last thing that government should do is have laws that would punish women who make reproductive choices. And that is the fundamental difference between a Clinton-Kaine ticket and a Trump- Pence ticket that wants to punish women who make that choice.
Pence: No, it's really not. Donald Trump and I would never support legislation that punished women who made the heartbreaking choice to end a pregnancy.
Kaine: Then why did Donald Trump say that?
Pence: We just never would.
Kaine: Why did he say that?
Pence: Well, look, it's — look, he's not a polished politician like you and Hillary Clinton. And so…
Kaine: Well, I would admit that's not a polished…
Pence: You know, things don't always come out exactly the way he means them.
Kaine: Well, can I say…
Pence: But I'm telling you what the policy of our administration would be.
Kaine: Great line from the — great line from the Gospel of Matthew. From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Pence: Yeah
Kaine: When Donald Trump says women should be punished or Mexicans are rapists and criminals…
Pence: I'm telling you…
Kaine: … or John McCain is not a hero, he is showing you who he is.
Pence: Senator, you've whipped out that Mexican thing again. He — look…
Kaine: Can you defend it?
Pence: There are criminal aliens in this country, Tim, who have come into this country illegally who are perpetrating violence and taking American lives.
Kaine: You want to — you want to use a big broad brush against Mexicans on that?
Pence: He also said and many of them are good people. You keep leaving that out of your quote. And if you want me to go there, I'll go there.
But here's — there is a choice, and it is a choice on life. I couldn't be more proud to be standing with Donald Trump, who's standing for the right to life. It's a principle that — Senator Kaine — and I'm very gentle about this, because I really do respect you — it's a principle that you embrace.
And I have appreciated the fact that you've supported the Hyde amendment, which bans the use of taxpayer funding for abortion, in the past, but that's not Hillary Clinton's view. People need to understand, we can come together as a nation. We can create a culture of life. More and more young people today are embracing life because we know we are — we're better for it. We can — like Mother Teresa said at that famous national prayer breakfast…
Kaine: This is important —
Pence: … bring the — let's welcome the children into our world. There are so many families around the country who can't have children. We could improve adoption…
Kaine: But, Governor…
Pence: … so that families that can't have children can adopt more readily those children from crisis pregnancies.
Kaine: Governor, why don't you trust women to make this choice for themselves? We can encourage people to support life. Of course we can. But why don't you trust women? Why doesn't Donald Trump trust women to make this choice for themselves?
That's what we ought to be doing in public life. Living our lives of faith or motivation with enthusiasm and excitement, convincing other, dialoguing with each other about important moral issues of the day…
Pence: Because there are…
Kaine: … but on fundamental issues of morality, we should let women make their own decisions.
Pence: Because there is — a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable, the aged, the infirm, the disabled, and the unborn. I believe it with all my heart. And I couldn't be more proud to be standing with a pro-life candidate in Donald Trump.
