Former Vice President Mike Pence is walking in Urbandale’s 4th of July parade this morning and will campaign in western Iowa over the next three days. Pence plans to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties before Republicans make their presidential preferences known in the Iowa Caucuses early next year.
“One of the things I’ve learned traveling the nation over the last two years is that I’m well known, but I don’t think we’re known well,” Pence said early this morning.
“Most Americans know me as a loyal lieutenant standing beside the president right up until my oath to the Constitution required me to do otherwise, but the story of our family, the story of our service, the story of a family that’s lived the American dream, that I’ve been a champion of the conservative movement all my life — that’s a story I’ll look forward to telling on the debate stage and in all 99 counties of Iowa before we get to that Caucus.”
Pence, who held his presidential campaign kick-off in Iowa last month, spoke with Radio Iowa this morning and shared that his first parade appearance was in 1964.
“My mother took a picture of us actually on a float for Barry Goldwater on his float for president when I was a toddler, but I have no memory of that,” Pence said, with a laugh. “…I would tell you the opportunity to be back on the street, shaking hands, greeting people, celebrating Independence Day, waving ‘Old Glory’ and cheering on the incredible progress our country has made through all these so many years is something that I cherish.”
Pence will make stops in Boone, Sioux Center, Le Mars, Sioux City, Holstein and Neola over the next few days and he’ll be back in Iowa next week to appear along with several other candidates at an event hosted by The Family Leader. Pence’s next opportunity to reach a nationwide audience is likely the first televised debate for GOP candidates in August. Pence’s campaign has not yet indicated he’s met the fundraising threshold to qualify for the debate, but during his conversation with Radio Iowa, Pence indicated he will be on the debate stage.
“I relish the opportunity to tell our story,” Pence said, “tell the story of the son of the heartland, the grandson of an Irish immigrant, someone who’s had an opportunity not just to serve as vice president, but as governor of a successful state as a leader among House conservatives for 12 years in the congress — and you’d better believe it. I wouldn’t miss that debate or any of the Republican debates for anything.”
Pence visited Ukraine late last week and he told Ukraine’s president the U.S. will support his country until victory over Russia is achieved. “I believe America’s the leader of the free world,” he said. “We’re the arsenal of democracy and since the days of Ronald Reagan we’ve always taken the position that if you’re willing to fight our enemies on your soil with your troops, we’ll give you what you need to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here.”
Pence indicated he understands “the concern of many Americans” that the war has stretched into its 16th month, but Pence accused the Biden Administration has been slow in providing the military hardware Ukraine needs for its fight.
“They’re still waiting for the 33 Abrams tanks that were promised in January. They’re being told that it’ll be this coming January before the F16s they’ve been promised are made available…I just think it shouldn’t take that long. We’re the ‘arsenal of democracy,’” Pence said. “…At this point, we’ve only spent 3% of our defense budget supporting the fight for freedom in Ukraine. I believe we can continue to support the Ukrainian military more rapidly, more quickly and give them the means to repel the Russian invasion.”
Before he was vice president, Pence served one term as Indiana’s governor. He appointed one of the Indiana Supreme Court justices who ruled last week that Indiana’s 2022 abortion ban doesn’t violate the state’s constitution.
“I’m very proud that Indiana passed strong pro-life protections for the unborn and I was proud that one of my appointments to the (Indiana) Supreme Court upheld that law very clearly,” Pence said, “but it’s also important to note that as states work out, as Iowa will continue to go through the process of working out protections for the unborn, this question was also returned to the American people.”
Pence argues that means presidential candidates who are “elected by the American people” should support a federal law on abortion. He’s called for a nationwide ban on abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy. “And then states advancing the cause of the right to life one state at a time are consistent with this enormous opportunity that we have,” Pence said.
Pence has also called for entitlement reform. As an Indiana congressman in 2005, Pence supported President George W. Bush’s plan to let younger workers invest payroll taxes for Social Security in private savings accounts instead, but the Republican-led congress never took a vote on the idea. Pence told Radio Iowa Americans “understand the trajectory of the national debt” must be addressed.
“As a candidate for president of the United States, I’m just determined to be honest with the American people, tell them about the debt crisis that we face today, but tell them there are ways we can deal with this issue,” Pence said. “…It’s going take leadership. It’s going to take vision and I intend to carry that message forward throughout this campaign.”
According to Pence, polling data shows Gen Xers and Millennials “would be very open” to the kind of changes he’s discussing. A survey conducted for a financial services company two years ago found 83% of Americans born between 1965 and 1985 believe Social Security will run out of money in their lifetimes.
“We can bring about some responsible, common sense reforms,” Pence said, “but we can also introduce those personal savings accounts that President George W. Bush introduced 15 years ago and allow younger Americans to invest a portion of their payroll taxes into a personal savings account that will actually give them a better rate of return than Social Security.”
Pence has said raising the retirement age for Social Security should be considered, but any changes should be phased in. He also has said there should be no changes for those who are 25 years away from the current retirement age for Social Security and Medicare.