Pence outlines vision for ‘post-Roe America’ in South Carolina speech

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday hailed the end of Roe v. Wade and outlined steps he hoped to see states take to further roll back abortion access in his first public remarks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe.

“I believe with all my heart that with Roe gone we have the opportunity to become a more perfect union,” Pence said in a speech at the Florence Baptist Temple in Florence, S.C.

“But make no mistake about it: As we gather tonight, we must recognize that we have only come to the end of the beginning,” Pence continued. “Standing here in the first days of post-Roe America, we must resolve that we will not rest, we will not relent, until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the nation.”

Pence, who has championed anti-abortion policies for decades and is seen as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, addressed the church roughly one month after a conservative majority on the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion and handing states authority to drastically limit or ban the procedure.

The former vice president used Wednesday’s speech to lay out his vision for “a post-Roe America.”

Pence urged those in attendance to elect anti-abortion officials at the state level so they could craft policies restricting abortion. He pointed to a law he signed as governor of Indiana banning abortion based on a child’s race, gender or disability.

He further called for ending “mail-order abortion” by restricting access to abortion pills, something the Biden administration has vowed it will protect in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

And Pence called for reforms to make adoption more accessible and less costly, arguing that conservatives should be not only anti-abortion but also pro-adoption.

“We have work to do. We’ve come to a new beginning for life. But it’s just a beginning,” Pence said.

“Though I do not know if I will be here to see it, I believe with all my heart the day will come when the right to life is the law of the land in every state in this country, and this generation will lead us to a pro-life America,” Pence added.

The Supreme Court ruling last month triggered a wave of protests and calls from the left for the White House to take steps to protect access to abortion. 

The administration responded by directing the Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen privacy for those accessing reproductive care, protect travel across state lines for abortions and ensure access to abortion pills.

Republicans, meanwhile, have carried out a debate of their own over how far to push on the issue in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

Some Republicans in Congress have introduced a federal law that would drastically limit abortion access nationwide. But others, wary of the political fallout, have downplayed the likelihood of any federal action restricting abortion.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for example, has argued the Senate would not have the 60 votes needed even under Republican control to pass an abortion ban.

Pence’s speech in South Carolina marked his third trip to the early primary state since leaving office. He is also slated to visit New Hampshire next month, marking yet another trip to the first primary state amid talk of a potential presidential bid.