Pence supports banning abortions for nonviable pregnancies, backing stricter laws than GOP rivals

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence called for a ban on abortions even when a pregnancy isn’t viable − a stance that sets him apart from his fellow GOP presidential candidates.

“I’m pro-life. I don’t apologize for it,” Pence told the Associated Press last week. “I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.”

The standard could mean pregnant people would have to carry a pregnancy to term, even if the child could not survive after being born.

While some Republican candidates on the campaign trail have avoided discussing abortion, Pence has made the issue a focal point of his campaign. He’s the only major candidate to support an abortion ban at six weeks, before many people are aware they’re pregnant. He has also supported pulling an abortion pill off the market, according to the Associated Press.

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“I want to always err on the side of life," Pence told the outlet. “I would hold that view in these matters because ... I honestly believe that we got this extraordinary opportunity in the country today to restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law.”

Many doctors, however, have opposed Pence's view, warning that continuing a pregnancy that isn't viable can put patients at risk.

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year meant that states decided whether and how to regulate abortion. As of the start of the year, 14 states have banned abortion. Courts have blocked the enforcement of bans in other states, creating a complicated environment heading into the 2024 election cycle.

Republican candidates have varying views on restricting abortion. Former President Donald Trump − the GOP frontrunner − raised the idea of national abortion restrictions last month in a speech. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who trails behind Trump, signed a 6-week abortion ban into law in April. Biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said earlier this year he doesn't believe a federal abortion ban "makes any sense."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Pence backs abortion bans for pregnancies that aren't viable