Only 35 of the United States’s 45 presidents have completed their term. Nine vice presidents have had to assume the presidency unexpectedly. That’s 20% of the time over the course of U.S. history. This election year, both presidential candidates are nearly octogenarians (Joe Biden would hit that milestone birthday during a potential first term). So, the vice presidential candidates deserve extra scrutiny and consideration this year.
Happily, both vice presidential candidates in 2020 have long records of public service. It’s therefore easy to imagine what life would be like under a President Mike Pence or a President Kamala Harris.
For people of faith and Catholics in particular, the contrast between Pence and Harris could not be more stark. In terms of their attitudes toward faith communities and their policy positions on issues of foundational importance, these two potential presidents could not be further apart.
Pence grew up in a devout Catholic family, one of six children. While he now considers himself an evangelical Christian, Pence speaks fondly of the faith of his youth: “My Catholic faith poured an eternal foundation in my life. … I was the beneficiary of an extraordinary Catholic education. … I want you all to know how much I cherish my Catholic upbringing and cherish the Church.”
Those were Pence’s words before the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in 2017. He also spoke of his appreciation for the many contributions of the Catholic Church to society. “I really grew up with a front-row seat to the Catholic faith and all that it means to families and to communities,” he said. “It gave me a deep appreciation for the Church’s rich contributions to the fabric of American life. The truth is Catholicism is woven deep into that fabric. It gives America a vitality and vibrancy that inspires everyone who sees it — to this very day.”
Pence’s policy positions also align with that of the Church on foundational issues. They reflect a shared vision of the dignity of the human person. As a young congressman, Pence was the original leading proponent of defunding the abortion corporation Planned Parenthood. As governor of Indiana, he fought for and signed a bill outlawing discriminatory abortions. In his current role as vice president, Pence has been a champion on issues of conscience protection, respect for life, and international religious liberty.
Harris refers to herself as a black Baptist. She has a fascinating interfaith background: She grew up attending Hindu services with her mother, but, at times, she also attended a Baptist church with a neighbor. Given her diverse cultural upbringing in varying faith traditions, one might hope that Harris would have high respect for people of different faiths. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
As California’s attorney general, Harris sought to force the Christian family-owned business Hobby Lobby to include abortifacient drugs in its healthcare plan. She also used the weight of her attorney general’s office to prosecute aggressively and unfairly a citizen journalist who went undercover to expose Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the ghoulish market of aborted babies’ organs.
As a senator on the Judiciary Committee, Harris has displayed remarkable intolerance toward Catholics who have come before her committee. The Constitution states that there shall be no religious test for office, yet Harris harassed one judicial nominee, Brian Buescher, because he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Yes, the Knights of Columbus. In her view, he was disqualified because he was a member of an organization that holds pro-life views and adheres to church teaching on marriage. She also said that another nominee to the federal bench, Kyle Duncan, was “unfit to serve” as a federal judge because he had represented the winning Christian family business owner in the Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court. Harris also co-sponsored a bill to gut the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the long-standing law that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and is of vital importance to people of faith.
Given the heightened importance of the vice presidential nominees this election year, a deeper dive into each candidate’s record is worthwhile. The country has gotten to know Pence pretty well over the past four years. It’s critical to envision life under Harris. She has acted time and again on her views that faithful Catholics are unfit to serve, First Amendment religious liberty protections ought to be rolled back, and the unborn child has no rights whatsoever. Harris has been dubbed the “ringleader of anti-Catholic bullying” in the Senate, and she leaves little doubt as to how she would use the power of the presidency.
Maureen Ferguson is a senior fellow for the Catholic Association.
