Former Vice President Mike Pence used the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference on Friday to urge his fellow Republicans running for president to support a nationwide ban on abortion before 15 weeks. The gathering of leading Christian conservatives comes a day before the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Among the attendees at the conference were several 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who also emphasized their anti-abortion credentials. DeSantis, who signed a law in Florida banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, reminded the crowd that it was “the right thing to do” and urged them to stay politically active in their efforts to ban abortion across the country.
Democrats Vow to Fight for Abortion Access After Dobbs Decision
As President Joe Biden rallied with abortion-rights supporters in Washington, Democrats continue their fight to preserve abortion access despite the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. The Supreme Court’s ruling, which was leaked in early May 2022 and issued on June 24, 2022, ended constitutional abortion protections on the federal level. This decision paved the way for near-total bans in some Republican-led states.
Democrats have pledged to codify the right to an abortion in federal law, but lack the necessary votes in Congress to achieve this objective. Last year’s midterm elections reinforced their belief that continuing to fight for access to abortion can energize their base, appeal to moderates estranged by GOP hardliners, and help the party retain control of the Senate, flip the House, and re-elect Biden.
President Donald Trump has suggested that increased abortion restrictions are detrimental to Republicans despite his appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump posted on his social-media site in January that “the ‘abortion issue,’ poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother” contributed to the party’s suboptimal performance during the midterm elections.
The low spirits that overshadowed last year’s midterm elections have dissipated among attendees of Friday’s Faith & Freedom Coalition gathering who cheered loudly and happily as every mention of Roe v. Wade’s reversal was being discussed. “Thank God almighty for the Dobbs decision,” Scott told the crowd with a jubilant mood.
Despite its success among certain Republican voters and conservative groups, many advocates for gender equity have expressed concern about the long-term impact of rolling back fundamental reproductive rights and access to health care. One year after the Dobbs decision, financial pressures continue to mount for patients and abortion-rights groups.
Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference Aims for Anti-Abortion Agenda
With the upcoming anniversary of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health scheduled along the same time, the Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference founder, Ralph Reed, clarified that the dates were set years before, and that the coincidence was merely serendipitous. Despite this, Reed emphasized that the purpose of the gathering is to prevent prominent Republican presidential candidates from becoming complacent when it comes to objectionable appeals.
“We’re certainly going to do everything that we can, as an organization and as a pro-life and pro-family movement, to give our candidates a little bit of a testosterone booster shot,” Reed said. “Those who are afraid of it need to, candidly, grow a backbone.”
At the opening of the conference, Reed received sustained cheers from the crowd for publicly announcing that “after 50 years of prayer and fasting and knocking on doors and electing candidates and registering voters and changing the culture of our country, Roe v Wade has been overturned.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Gary Peters claimed that leading Republican candidates will back a nationwide ban on abortion to secure support during their primary run and then subtly shift to a more moderate position during the general elections. Peters confidently asserts that “they’re not going to get away with that.”
One of those GOP candidates is Vice President Mike Pence. He has previously voiced support for a national ban on abortion after just six weeks of pregnancy – prior to when most women know they are pregnant.
During Friday’s conference, Pence marked 15 weeks as the “minimum nationwide standard” for a ban, echoing Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America’s call to only endorse a presidential candidate who will back a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks.
Conservative Leaders Weigh In on Abortion
Despite the heated debate surrounding abortion in the United States, many conservative leaders are clear about their views on the issue.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, a deeply devout evangelical Christian, received a much warmer reception at this year’s Faith & Freedom Coalition conference compared to his appearance in 2021, when he faced boos and cries of “traitor” for defying former President Trump’s demands to overturn the 2020 election results.
While Pence has been open about his opposition to abortion, some other leaders like Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley have been less specific about what kind of national limits they would support.
At the conference, attendees were warned about expressing any disagreement with presidential candidates, but some still booed former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has criticized Trump and his self-promotion. Despite the outbursts, Christie urged attendees to take responsibility for their actions, as he believes is taught in their faith.
Despite their differences in opinion and approach, it is clear that conservative leaders all share the goal of protecting the sanctity of life.
