Since leaving the White House, former Vice President Mike Pence has been working on his organization Advancing American Freedom (AAF).
This week, while President-elect Donald Trump‘s cabinet nominees face Senate confirmation hearings, AAF released an announcement urging Senators to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s unconventional pick for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
EXCLUSIVE: Mike Pence Org @AmericanFreedom Urges Senators To Oppose RFK Jr. Confirmation | @realDailyWire https://t.co/Tj32adU045
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 15, 2025
AAF’s main beef with Kennedy isn’t his controversial position on vaccines — the top point of contention for many — but Kennedy’s wavering stance on abortion, which the conservative group staunchly opposes.
The AAF announcement addressed to the Senators reads: “We strongly encourage you to reject the nomination of any pro-abortion nominees to serve at HHS,” the statement reads.
AAF provides five questions for Senators to ask Kennedy at his hearing in an effort to get the longtime Democrat to clarify his views on abortion, including “When do you believe that life should be protected?”
There are hundreds of decisions made every day at HHS that either lead our nation toward a respect for life or away from it.
We strongly encourage Senators to reject the nomination of any pro-abortion nominees to serve at HHS. Read our full letter
pic.twitter.com/jcIGiW3HzQ
— Advancing American Freedom (@AmericanFreedom) January 15, 2025
The AAF also wants the new HHS Secretary to require states to collect and report abortion data — many states currently do not report abortion data to the federal government.
Note: As seen above, the letter is not signed by Pence, but by AAF President Tim Chapman — former Chief of Staff at the Heritage Foundation — and by Chairman of the AAF Board Marc Short, Pence’s former Chief of Staff in the White House.