Mike Pence’s Highlights ― Second Primary Republican Debate

Together, the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis make 336 times the number of rank-and-file workers. That's just part of a wider income inequality trend in the country. The richest 1% now controls one-fifth of all income. Vice President Pence, last week you said you side with American workers, but you also support how these companies operate. Which is it? Well, thank you for the question. I want to thank Univision and Fox Business for assembling such a wonderful forum. Look, I do disagree with something Tim Scott just said. Joe Biden doesn't belong on a picket line. He belongs on the unemployment line. I mean, look, I'm from the second-leading manufacturing state in the country per capita. I was governor of the state of Indiana. We brought 12,000 factories back to America during our administration. I know something about manufacturing. And I got to tell you, while the union bosses are talking about class warfare and talking about disparity in wages, I have to tell you, I really believe what's driving that is Bidenomics has failed. Wages are not keeping up with inflation. Auto workers and all American workers are feeling it, and families are struggling in this economy. And Joe Biden's Green New Deal agenda is good for Beijing and bad for Detroit. We ought to repeal the Green New Deal, get rid of the mandates and subsidies that are driving American gasoline, automotive manufacturing into the graveyard. And beyond that, also, as president of the United States, I'll be standing with workers all across America, and I'll be standing for the right to work of every American to join a union or not join a union as they decide. Vice President Pence, in 2017, the Trump-Pence administration canceled DACA, which put the legal status of 600,000 DREAMers in the hands of the courts. DREAMers work, and they pay taxes. As president, if the Supreme Court ends DACA, would you work with Congress to reach a permanent solution for DREAMers? Well, first, let me say I'm glad—I'm glad Vivek pulled out of his business deal in 2018 in China. That must have been about the time you decided to start voting in presidential elections. So we're nice to have you participating in elections. So let me—let me speak to this issue. Number one, I negotiated the Remain-in-Mexico policy with the—with the Mexican government. We used economic power to bring the Mexican government to the table. We built hundreds of miles of border wall, and despite what's said here today, we reduced illegal immigration and asylum abuse by 90 percent. And as president of the United States, I can do it again. And the truth is—the truth is we need to fix a broken immigration system, and I'll do that as well. But first and foremost, a nation without borders is not a nation. And we have to secure the southern border of the United States of America. I know how to do it, and we will do it again. Let me say one other thing about China. Would you negotiate with Congress to give a solution to the problem that dreamers have right now? They are on a limbo. Well, let me tell you, I served in Congress for 12 years, although it seemed longer. But, you know, something I've done different than everybody on this stage is I've actually—I've actually secured reform in Congress. You know, Ron, you talk a really good game about cutting spending, but you've increased spending in Florida by 30 percent. When I was a member of Congress in 2006, right after Hurricane Katrina—Dana, you remember it—we stood our ground. I led House conservatives. We cut $100 billion out of the federal budget. It can be done, but as I said in the last debate, I'll say again, this is no time for on-the-job training. I'm going to be ready on day one to get Congress to step up, secure the southern border of the United States, build a military fitted to our times, and we're going to get spending in Washington, D.C., under control once and for all. Do a different interview. Hold on, sorry. Vice President Pence. Five billion dollars. Just last month, Vice President Pence, you said if elected, you would repeal all Obamacare mandates. However, you also made that same promise in 2016. And at that time, Trump—Pence had congressional majorities for at least the first two years, and you did not deliver on that promise. So Obamacare, right now, it is more popular than ever. Why should Americans trust you, if you become president, to fix that, or is Obamacare here to stay? Well, first, let me speak to the mass shootings issue, and then I'll answer that question. It's an important one, Dana. Look, I'm someone that believes that justice delayed is justice denied. And as a father of three, as the grandfather of three beautiful little girls, I am sick and tired of these mass shootings happening in the United States of America. And if I'm president of the United States, I'm going to go to the Congress of the United States, and we're going to pass a federal expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting, so that they meet their fate in months, not years. It is unconscionable that the Parkland shooter, Ron, is actually going to spend the rest of his life behind bars in Florida. That's not justice. We have to mete out justice and send a message to these would-be killers that you are not going to live out your days behind bars. You're going to mete justice in this system. I appreciate that. But does that mean Obamacare is here to stay? Well, thank you for reiterating the question, because I'd love to answer it. Look, I think it's one of the choices here. You know, my former running mate, Donald Trump, actually has a plan to start to consolidate more power in Washington, D.C., consolidate more power in the executive branch. If I'm president of the United States, it's my intention to make the federal government smaller by returning to the states those resources and programs that are rightfully theirs under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution. That means all Obamacare funding, all housing funding, all HHS funding, all of it goes back to the states. We'll shut down the Federal Department of Education. We'll allow states to innovate. We're going to revive federalism in America, and states are going to help bring America back. I'm not sure we've got an answer on Obamacare staying, but— Vice President Pence, the Department of Homeland Security warns that violence against LGBTQ plus people is on the rise and intensifying. According to a recent study, members of that community are nine times more likely to be victims of violent hate crimes. As president, how would you protect this community from violent attacks and discrimination? Well, as president of the United States, I'll stand up for the safety and the civil liberties of every American, from every background. And I want the American people to know that. But I want to answer the question, as well, Dana, that you just asked of Burr. Because by way of full disclosure—Chris, you mentioned the president's situation. My wife isn't a member of the teachers' union, but I've got to admit, I've been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years. And full disclosure, look, education is a state and local function. The state of Indiana had one of the very first school choice programs in the country. And when I was governor of the state of Indiana, we doubled it. And as to your question, Dana, let's be very, very clear. When the Linmar Community Schools in Iowa had a policy where you could—you had to have a permission slip from your parents to get a Tylenol, but you could get a gender transition plan without notifying your parents, I weighed in with a foundation. That's not bad policy. That's crazy. We're going to stand up for the rights of parents, and we're going to pass a federal ban on transgender chemical or surgical surgery anywhere in the country. We've got to protect our kids from this radical gender ideology agenda. And we've got to empower parents at the state level with the ability to choose where their kids go to school, whether it's public, private, parochial or homeschool. You empower parents, and our schools will straighten up and reflect our values and focus on the basics faster than you could possibly imagine. Thirty seconds to you, Mr. Pence. Well, I think you asked a question about executive experience, and I think it's vitally important. And I stand before you today as a candidate for president because I think this country's in a lot of trouble. You hear the fire on the stage tonight. You hear the fire in all of our voices. And it's because Joe Biden is weak in this country, at home and abroad. This is a time for those of us that have the experience, the tested experience and a commitment to the conservative agenda that Ronald Reagan brought forward in this party of a strong national defense, standing with our allies, standing up to our enemies, supporting limited government and traditional values, need to step forward. Because frankly, our party does face a time for choosing, as they said at the top of this debate, whether we're going to stand on the foundation of that conservative agenda that Ronald Reagan poured or whether we're going to follow the siren song of populism on more de-conservative principles. I'm the most experienced, most qualified and most consistent conservative in this field, and I'm ready to lead America at home and abroad on day one. It is now a time for choosing to go to a break. I think one of the signature accomplishments of our administration was in just a few short years. We achieved energy independence. We became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 75 years. But on day one, Joe Biden declared a war on energy, which was no surprise, because when Joe Biden ran for president, he said he was going to end fossil fuels, and they've been working overtime to do that ever since. If I'm president of the United States, we're going to open up federal lands, we're going to unleash American energy, we're going to have an all-of-the-above energy strategy. And I have a plan that actually would not only reclaim energy independence, but in 2006, America lost our position as the leading energy producer on Earth. I believe in the next 10 years, with the right policies and experienced leadership in the White House, we can reclaim our role as the leading energy producer on Earth, and that'll grow the American economy for generations to come. President Pence, the latest Univision poll found that 73 percent of Latino voters think the Republican Party doesn't care about or is being hostile toward them, the Hispanic community. Only Governor DeSantis has translated his campaign into Spanish. How will you reach out to Latino voters? Well, I promise you that we're going to continue to build bridges to every community in this country. And I'm incredibly proud of that tax cut and tax reform bill. I worked on Capitol Hill to help get that bill passed into law, the largest tax cut in American history. We saw literally the lowest unemployment ever recorded for Hispanic Americans, the lowest unemployment ever recorded for African Americans, 50-year low for women. So I think the president of the United States needs to be a champion for the American dream for every American. It begins with the unborn and the aging and the infirm, and it begins with every ethnic group in this country. And I promise you, if I'm president of the United States, I'll be a champion. I'll be a champion for the American dream for Hispanic Americans and for every American. So help me God.