Vice President Mike Pence: Too partisan and extreme for North Dakota

(BISMARCK, ND) – When Vice President Mike Pence stumps for Kevin Cramer in Fargo, it begs the question: Where does Pence stand on the issues that matter to North Dakotans? It’s certainly not in the sensible middle. Throughout his career, Pence has staked out the most extreme, reckless positions – from ripping away health care from working families, to pulling out the safety net for folks who rely on Medicare and Social Security.

“Mike Pence has a lifelong record of putting massive corporations and party loyalty ahead of the families he’s elected to serve,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Dem-NPL. “From his reckless crusade on health care, to his attempts to privatize Social Security, Mike Pence is too extreme for North Dakota.”

HEALTH CARE

Pence pushed for a health care plan that would have kicked more than 30,000 North Dakotans off their insurance coverage, as well as a plan to repeal the ACA, without replacement, jeopardizing care for the nearly 300,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions.

Changes pushed by President Trump and Pence will cause premiums to skyrocket.

Pence was criticized for a lackluster response to an HIV outbreak in Indiana and undermined efforts to combat other public health crises.

Pence compared the Supreme Court ruling which upheld the Affordable Care Act to the horrific attack on September 11th, 2001.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Pence pushed to privatize Social Security and even said former President Bush’s privatization plan didn’t go far enough.

TRADE

From the White House, Pence is advocating for trade policies that could crush North Dakota farmers, ranchers and our energy economy.

ECONOMY

Pence offered tax breaks for companies that outsourced good-paying Indiana jobs.

As Governor, Pence was roundly criticized for signing legislation that would have allowed companies to discriminate against LGBTQ citizens. As a result, it has been estimated that Indianapolis has already lost $60 million in economic impact.

FIRST AMENDMENT

As Governor, Pence tried to start a state-run news agency that would have featured news written by state press secretaries.