Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his day one priorities on Tuesday, telling reporters he plans to address American security "first and foremost" on his first day as president if elected in 2024. In one of his first actions, he'd reverse defense spending cuts made in the debt ceiling deal negotiated between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
In a three-pronged policy proposal, Pence said, "If the appropriation bills are not completed, I will reverse that 1% automatic spending cut in the debt ceiling deal and ensure that in 2025, we're not cutting military spending."
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The three areas Pence is planning to target on a potential first day as president are American security, American workers, and American values.
According to him, "Joe Biden has weakened our country around the world through that disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan, through the policies of appeasement toward Iran, [and] the kowtowing that has continued with another Cabinet member traveling to China in the wake of China's ongoing provocations across the Asia Pacific."
He emphasized his belief in "peace through strength," adding that "American strength becomes our very first priority while our adversaries have been investing in and growing their military — China by 134%."
Pence also claimed he would direct his defense leaders to craft a budget to be submitted to Congress within the first 100 days. This budget would "make historic investments" in rebuilding the military, he said.
"I believe that America is the leader of the free world. We're also the arsenal of democracy, and now, more than ever, the American people want to see leadership that will cast a vision for military strong enough not only to defend our nation but to ensure a more peaceful world," the former vice president explained.
However, Pence said there are "increasing voices in our party" that are turning away from this philosophy. He then took aim at Vivek Ramaswamy over his stance on foreign policy issues.
"I believe Vivek's foreign policy echoes the Obama Doctrine of appeasement to the world's most ruthless regimes of Russia and China and Iran," he claimed. "And [it] also signals retreat from our greatest allies on the world stage."
"Vivek, actually, is talking about lifting sanctions on Russia and giving [Russian President Vladimir] Putin everything that he wants to achieve some sort of peace in an end of the Ukraine war. He's spoken about ending aid to Israel — leveling aid to Israel, among other countries in the wider Middle East. And has also signaled that he'd be willing to essentially leave Taiwan to the Chinese after 2028," he continued.
"To me, all of those policies — defunding Israel, appeasing Russia, letting China off — all make America less safe, and I believe the Obama-Biden-Ramaswamy foreign policy doctrines are one in the same," Pence claimed.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Ramaswamy senior adviser Tricia McLaughlin said, “Our relationship with Israel will be stronger than ever by the end of Vivek’s first term, and he will consummate Abraham Accords 2.0 by the end of 2025, while ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. The U.S. relationship with Israel is a model example of how our international relationships should work and aligns with his vision to revive realism in our foreign policy: Israel spends a higher percentage of their GDP on defense than any major nation. 75% of the aid we provide to Israel must be spent in the U.S., and by 2028 the mandate is 100%. This isn’t how milquetoast establishment politicians are taught to speak, but it’s exactly how Vivek will lead.”
Ramaswamy also addressed criticism of his Taiwan stance on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday. "I favor strategic clarity: Defend Taiwan vigorously until the U.S. achieves semiconductor independence, then resume the posture of strategic ambiguity when the stakes are lower for the U.S. The American way of life depends on leading-edge semiconductors manufactured in Taiwan, and we can’t risk China gaining near-total leverage over the entire U.S. economy," he clarified in a lengthy post.
Pence also pledged to finish the southern border wall, championed by former President Donald Trump, by the end of his first term.
As for protecting American workers, the former vice president claimed he will reverse Biden's executive orders hindering production of energy in the United States. "We will reverse all the Biden energy executive orders and unleash American energy and open up access to all of America's reserves through leasing programs and through oil and natural gas and the development of our nation's extraordinary resources," he said.
Other priorities for Pence on this front include ending pandemic-era remote work for federal employees, reviving rules that protect independent contractors, and putting an end to Biden's environmental, social, and governance retirement investment rule.
If he is president, Pence said, he "will appoint the most conservative Cabinet and judiciary ever assembled. I believe personnel is policy. And I'm confident that we'll be able to assemble a team that will be able to turn every agency of our federal government in the direction of restoring American strength and prosperity."
He added that he will restore American values by repealing executive orders "that require government to support abortion services at home and abroad." He will also order any and all "federal litigation supporting abortion efforts in states" to be dropped. "I will direct my administration to immediately drop all legal support for the expansion of abortion services and drop all federal litigation supporting abortion," he told reporters.
Further, he will address transgender procedures for minors. Pence said both direct and indirect funding for these procedures on children will be ended. Also, he plans to "block funding to schools that promote child transgender chemical or physical procedures."
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He additionally pledged to bring back protections for religious groups when it comes to federal contracting.
Pence's day one objectives plan is the fourth policy proposal that has been rolled out by his campaign.