Impeachment inquiry hearings have begun after months of them being discussed by Democrats for quite some time now.
The party has done its best to find any crime committed by President Donald Trump bad enough to get him removed from office, but Democrats seem to forget that if he leaves or is forced out of office, Vice President Mike Pence would take over.
Do they really want that?
Pence served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001-13, and was unanimously elected chairman of the Republicans’ conference in 2009. He then decided to run on a grassroots platform for governor of Indiana.
The majority of his platform was that he would cut taxes for the state and once elected, that’s exactly what he did.
According to CNBC, the tax cuts Pence passed were the largest in Indiana history, containing “a $3.5 billion package that slashed state income taxes, lowered the corporate rate and eliminated the inheritance tax.”
The Indy Star reported that the tax cuts were followed by the unemployment rate dropping by 3.5% in Indiana.
Aside from major tax cuts, Pence has been a surprising advocate for a free press.
According to The Washington Post, during his time in Congress, Pence co-signed legislation for federal shield laws that would allow reporters to keep sources anonymous against government requests.
This is in vast contrast to the Trump administration which has been aggressive in attacking the free press.
Tax cuts and free speech are things that Democrats might agree with, but Pence has plenty to his record that would leave “Never Trumpers” reeling if he took office.
According to TIME Magazine, in 2006 Pence said that same-sex marriage would bring a “societal collapse” if ever made legal.
This was not the first time Pence had faced controversy for homophobic comments, with a history of these type of statements starting back in 2000.
According to The New York Times, an archived version of Pence’s original campaign website had a statement that attacked the Ryan White Care Act, which gives federal funding to HIV/AIDS patients.
The statement from the website said, “Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.”
Pence continued his scuffle with treating HIV/AIDS patients in 2017 when a piece of legislation was voted on in the House of Representatives to defund Planned Parenthood.
Pence told a Vox reporter, “If Planned Parenthood wants to be involved in providing counseling services and HIV testing, they ought not be in the business of providing abortions. As long as they aspire to do that, I’ll be after them.”
Aside from his disapproval of same-sex marriage and Planned Parenthood, Pence also received backlash in 2015 for signing Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, allowing businesses to refuse service on the basis of religion with impunity from local government.
According to CNN, the act was later updated and signed by Pence, prohibiting the discrimination of sexual orientation.
The step back to ensure that the LGBTQ community would not be affected is great in theory, but it didn’t change the fact it oppressed people using their
religious beliefs.
With this resume backing him, it is interesting that Democrats are so eager to have Trump removed and replaced with Pence.
