In light of Sunday’s presidential debate, it’s evident that there are a number of things to be anxious about regarding the future of politics in the United States — the main source of terror being that Donald Trump could actually become the president. But I’m here to tell you that there is something more threatening than Trump sitting in the Oval Office: the thought of Mike Pence as next in line to lead our nation.
In choosing one’s vice president, presidential candidates usually strive to find someone who they see as fit to be in control, should anything happen to them during their tenure in office. In the case of Trump, he chose a far-right Republican to join him on the ticket in order to gain the vote of Conservatives who think him too moderate. Choosing Mike Pence seems like a smart political move for the Republican nominee, but it has just given me yet another reason to justify why Trump will not be receiving my vote.
If you think Trump is bad for women’s rights, you would be absolutely appalled at what policies Pence would propose should he be placed in a position of such power. Trump carries notions of sexual assault, but Pence has an actual record of opposing women’s reproductive rights ever since he stepped into office in 2001. As governor of Indiana since 2013, Pence has signed every piece of legislation to cross his desk that restricts a woman’s right to an abortion.
In March, the governor signed a bill that attempted to deny women abortions even in the face of fetal abnormality, something that directly opposes the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in the case of Roe v. Wade. The bill also would have required all women to bury or cremate the fetus should they have an abortion or a miscarriage. The bill was considered so right-wing that many pro-life Republicans denounced it, and the law was, thankfully, blocked by a federal judge because it so egregiously violated women’s rights.
Many politicians regard Pence as the figurehead who initiated the Republican’s notorious campaign to defund Planned Parenthood. In 2007, before the party began its attack on the institution, Pence introduced an amendment attached to an appropriations bill that would strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funds. This proposal paved the way for the Republican agenda against providing support for the institution — despite the fact that, under Title X, the money given doesn’t actually fund abortions. Government spending for Planned Parenthood is allocated toward annual exams, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and contraception. Pence believes that by withholding money from the organization, it will have to shut down completely. This idea was proven true in his own state, but with horrifying effects.
As governor, Pence was successful in closing a rural Planned Parenthood after cutting its funding. However, this Planned Parenthood was the only source of HIV testing in the entire county, causing an outbreak of HIV in Scott County, Indiana. Pence’s agenda to shut down all of Planned Parenthood had disastrous results in the state that he swore to protect, and his relentless campaign will only escalate if he takes the position of vice president.
Trump’s disgusting rhetoric toward women is nothing short of abusive and, yes, the thought of his control over our country is alarming. But the running mate that he has chosen concerns me even more, a man whose tyranny has already caused detriment to his people and as someone who endangers my rights as a woman.
Pence has declared that he cannot wait for the day that “we send Roe v. Wade back to the ash heap of history, where it belongs,” and electing Trump as our president may just be putting him in the position to do so.
Emily Houston is a sophomore double-majoring in English and political science.