March 14, 2024
There’s likely no more important position that a president can pick for his cabinet than that of Vice President. The VEEP plays a major role in domestic policy and, as such, choosing someone with strong pro-life principles and a pro-life track record matters greatly to The Pro-Life Generation.
Students for Life Action (SFLAction) heard rumblings of several potential VEEP picks to join former President Donald Trump, who has now clinched the Republican Presidential Primary. But who on the list (or perhaps even off the list) would actually bring solid pro-life bonafides to the position?
A news report from NBC lays out what President Trump could be thinking:
“Last month at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump was dining on the outdoor patio, engaging in his regular habit of stopping by the tables of club members and talking about whatever issue was top of mind.
On this day, the GOP’s challenges on the issue of abortion became the focus when a member brought up the midterm elections and the hit Republicans took over reproductive rights. According to a source who was present, the member told Trump to pick a running mate who isn’t too hardline on the issue. Trump then began making the rounds polling his dinner guests about abortion and the veepstakes.”
The article then listed several candidates – and we have some proof of pro-life for the referenced shortlist:
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio
From the state of Ohio, Senator JD Vance spoke out against the election loss in November 2023, calling it “a gut punch” when abortion was written into state law with the passage of Issue 1. In a lengthy Twitter statement, he said that “Giving up on the unborn is not an option. It’s politically dumb and morally repugnant. Instead, we need to understand why we lost this battle so we can win the war.”
Separately, Vance has endorsed a “a minimum national standard” on defending pre-born life, likely meaning a national law restricting abortion.
Notable pro-life legislation supported in 2024:
- Bill sponsor: S204 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- Bill sponsor: S13 Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act
Previous Students for Life Action scorecard ranking: N/A
Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York
One of the most powerful Republicans in the House of Representatives, Rep. Elise Stefanik has supported some national abortion restrictions previously, including a 15-week national abortion law. She’s also on record praising the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, saying “the Supreme Court got it right.” According to a news report from NBC, she’s “also supported legislation that would impose prison sentences of up to five years on doctors who perform abortions after 20 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother.”
Notable pro-life legislation supported in 2024:
- Voted YES on passing HR26 Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act
- Voted YES on passing HR 6914 Pregnant Students Rights Act
- Voted YES on passing HR 6918 Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act
- Bill Sponsor: HR26 Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act
Previous Students for Life Action scorecard ranking: B
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida
A staunch pro-life voice from Florida, Rep. Byron Donalds leapt to the defense of the United States Supreme Court after Joe Biden attacked it during his 2024 State of the Union speech, saying he found “his scolding of the court disgusting, because the left will say that they want to respect the institution, except when they don’t get their way.” Rep. Donalds is also on record defending IVF, saying It “helps breed great families.” In 2021, he also co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act.
Notable pro-life legislation supported in 2024:
- Voted YES on passing HR26 Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act
- Voted YES on passing HR 6914 Pregnant Students Rights Act
- Voted YES on passing HR 6918 Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act
Previous Students for Life Action report card ranking: A+
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida
As one of the more outspoken pro-life champions in the United States Senate, Sen. Marco Rubio has taken numerous bold stances. During a 2022 conversation with CBS4 News Miami’s Jim DeFede, Sen. Rubio said, “I do not believe that the dignity and the worth of human life is tied to the circumstances of conception” – a rarity indeed. He’s also taken hard lines to ensure that men take responsibility for the lives they help create. In 2022, Rubio and Sen. Kevin Cramer proposed a law that would require dads to pay child support from conception. He has previously supported numerous pro-life laws that were introduced in the Senate, including a national level restriction.
Notable pro-life legislation supported in 2024:
- Bill sponsor: S204 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- Bill sponsor: S13 Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act
- Bill sponsor: S16 Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2023
- Bill sponsor: S2974 Pregnant Students’ Rights Act of 2023
Previous Students for Life Action scorecard ranking: B+
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina
The senator from South Carolina is a reliable voice on protecting life, calling South Carolina’s law protecting life through six weeks a “good thing” and also defending a similar law in Florida after it was attacked by former President Donald Trump. He’s also on record promising to sign the “most conservative, pro-life legislation” that Congress would send him. During his run for president, he also released an excellent pro-life ad, defending the sanctity of life – a remarkable distinction from one of the worst cowards when it comes to defending life, Representative Nancy Mace, who comes from Sen. Scott’s own state.
Notable pro-life legislation supported in 2024:
- Bill sponsor: S204 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
Previous Students for Life Action scorecard ranking: A+
Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota
South Dakota has some of America’s tightest restrictions on abortions, thanks to leadership from Gov. Kristi Noem. During her tenure, a life at conception bill was passed and signed into law, ensuring that only in cases of the life of the mother being at risk would abortion ever be allowed. A true pro-life champion, Noem has also called herself “a pro-life absolutist.”
Legislation or votes of note:
- Signed into law legislation that prohibits abortion except to preserve the life of a pregnant mother.
Previous Students for Life Action scorecard ranking: N/A
What about those NOT on the list? The options could be legion, as we found out at the time of our National Pro-Life Summit in January 2024, where we polled summit attendees about who their choices would’ve been. Of the 17 selected candidates, the top five picks were:
- Mike Pence – 36.1%
- Vivek Ramaswamy – 13.7%
- Ron DeSantis – 11.1%
- Tucker Carlson – 10.3%
- Ted Cruz – 5.1%
But that’s the fun thing about politics – it’s usually educated guess work until the power players show their cards, and Trump is expected to lay his cards on the table for the Veepstakes any day now.
