Mike Pence spoke at an anti-abortion group luncheon in Nashville on Tuesday and proceeded to let everyone know that “legal abortion could once again be banned in the U.S., and that it could happen in our time,” reports the Huffington Post.
Spoke at the @SBAList luncheon about how the Trump Admin has been keeping its word to STAND FOR the sanctity of HUMAN LIFE. We’ve reinstated the Mexico City Policy, allowed states to defund Planned Parenthood & @POTUS addressed this year’s March for Life from the @WhiteHouse. pic.twitter.com/9irXVrtCWk
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 27, 2018
In his speech he went on to talk about how “The President reinstated the Mexico City Policy to prevent American tax dollars from funding organizations that promote or perform abortions beyond our borders.”
Human Rights Watch breaks down the ins and outs of the Mexico City Policy, which “requires foreign nongovernmental organizations receiving US global health assistance to certify that they do not use their own non-US funds to: provide abortion services, counsel patients about the option of abortion or refer them for abortion, or advocate for the liberalization of abortion laws.”
It doesn’t stop there either. He also touted that the Trump administration had ended the U.S.’s financial contribution to the United Nations Populations Fund, which is an organization that takes care of family planning and is responsible for ending childbirth deaths in over 150 countries.
After they all celebrated taking women’s health rights away, he went a step further, with cheers from the crowds, he reiterated the celebration of defunding Planned Parenthood in Tennessee. (Yeah, I really feel like cracking a cold one and doing a cheers right now — NOT.)
As always, Twitter had my back and had some *thoughts* about this too, including California Senator Kamala Harris and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand who weighed in on Pence’s comments:
You will never end abortion. You will only end safe abortions. https://t.co/nJgWPt3lYr
— Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) February 28, 2018
Not if we have anything to do with it. Get to the polls this November, women. We’re owning our future. https://t.co/hNcegl40Wa
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 28, 2018
I am sick and tired of Republican politicians playing politics with our health care and going out of their way to target women’s constitutional right to choose. We deserve better. https://t.co/1rBIF3J92l
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 28, 2018
Spoiler alert: if you really, truly hate abortion and want to see the numbers go down, you should support comprehensive sex ed and access to contraceptives.
— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) February 28, 2018
Mike Pence said yesterday that legal abortion would end “in our time.” To this we say: NEVER. We will NEVER allow a world in which women don’t get to decide their own destinies or control their own bodies. https://t.co/PS5a8QyP3x
— NARAL (@NARAL) February 28, 2018
Though the Vice President might be celebrating a potential end to abortion advocates, it’s obvious that activists and advocates aren’t going to quietly accept those policies anytime soon.