It’s official: Donald Trump, presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, has announced Mike Pence of Indiana as his running mate. Mike Pence was a Representative from Indiana from 2001-2013. Shortly after his final term in Congress ended in 2013, he was inaugurated as Governor of Indiana, an office that he is still currently in. Let’s take a look at what he stands for and how he has voted.

• Education: Gov. Pence opposes big government when it comes to education. As a Representative, he voted against the so-called No Child Left Behind Act, which threatened to cut off federal funding to states that didn’t give their students standardized tests. As Governor, he repealed Common Core, which has been widely criticized as a federal takeover of education in Indiana.
• Civil Liberties: Unfortunately, Mike Pence has a terrible record when it comes to civil liberties. In the House, then-Rep. Pence voted for the so-called Patriot Act and its subsequent reauthorizations, which allowed the National Security Agency to read people’s emails, listen to people’s phone calls, etc. without a warrant––a gross violation of the 4th Amendment. He also voted for the National Defense Authorization Act, which allowed the government to indefinitely detain civilians––a gross violation of the 6th Amendment.
• Taxes and Government Spending: Gov. Pence has a great fiscal policy. As a Representative, he voted against the so-called Affordable Care Act, which not only raised taxes but also created new, unnecessary and burdensome taxes. He later cosponsored legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As Governor, he cut income taxes, property taxes, corporate taxes and spending. He also abolished Indiana’s estate tax.
• The War on Drugs: Gov. Pence is a strong proponent of the War on Drugs. As Governor, he expanded mandatory minimum sentencing for marijuana offenders.
• War and Peace: Gov. Pence, like the presidential candidate he’s running with, is a hawkish warmonger. He seems to think that war is the best solution to everything, supported by the fact that he voted for the unnecessary Iraq War.
• Federal Reserve: In the House, then-Rep. Pence voted to audit the Federal Reserve, requiring its actions to be transparent. The reason that this bill was proposed is that the Federal Reserve has often bailed out large corporations, an affront to capitalism. If the bill to audit the Federal Reserve had passed, then the public would know if the Federal Reserve had engaged in the corrupt practice of corporate welfare.

So, there you have it. Gov. Pence has a great record when it comes to fiscal issues, but he has a terrible record when it comes to social issues. That’s why I can’t support him.