Pence: ‘I’d like to see mifepristone off the market’

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he would like to see mifepristone, the widely used abortion pill at the center of a high-profile legal battle, off of the market, citing safety concerns.

“I’d like to see this medication off the market to protect the unborn,” Pence said on CBS’s “Face The Nation.” “I have deep concerns about the way the [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] went about approving mifepristone 20 years ago.”

The drug, which has been approved for use for over two decades, is at the center of a court battle. A federal judge in Texas initially invalidated the FDA’s approval of the pill, but the Supreme Court said the drug will remain available while an appeal plays out in a lower court.

Pence, who has unabashedly defended his anti-abortion stances, said on Sunday the abortion drug should be off the market not only to “protect the unborn” but also because he thinks it poses risks to the health of mothers.

“I’m grateful that action is being taken in the courts to hold the FDA accountable to what the law requires,” Pence said. “So for the sake of protecting the unborn but also for the health and safety of women, I’m looking forward to this litigation continuing.”

Pence also again voiced his support for a national 15-week abortion ban, a stance he has taken in the past. Other declared and potential GOP presidential candidates have danced around the issue of a national abortion ban.

“I’m pro-life and I don’t apologize for it,” Pence said on CBS. “I think the American people would welcome a minimum national standard in Washington, D.C. — 15 weeks.”