There is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud that would have changed the outcome of the 2020 election, and Pence made no specific claims in his article. Instead, the former vice president continued to promote disinformation pushed by former president Donald Trump that led Trump supporters to invade the U.S. Capitol when Pence joined the Senate to certify the election results.
While in office, Pence never publicly disputed Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen from him, but he did not address the issue after certifying the results on January 6. In his final days in office, he praised the administration’s achievements and avoided questions from the press during Trump’s impeachment, and has remained largely discreet since President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Pence described the January 6 events, which put him and his family in direct danger, as “tragic” and said the insurrection “deprived the American people of a substantive Congressional discussion on electoral integrity in America”.
Democrats have made HR 1 a signature legislative priority, while Republicans have argued that the legislation is overkill. It is likely to pass the House, but the bill is yet to hit an obstacle in the Senate, where it is unclear whether there would be enough Republican support to overcome an obstruction.
Among other provisions, the bill prohibits states from restricting voting capacity by mail and asks states to use independent redistricting commissions to create congressional district boundaries.
Pence suggested that the bill was an “unconstitutional takeover” and would increase opportunities for electoral fraud, trample the First Amendment, further undermine confidence in the elections and dilute the votes of legally qualified voters.
In addition to spreading misinformation in the article, Pence also called for unity, but did not name Trump, whose presidency was defined by constant efforts to apprehend and exacerbate social and political divisions in the country.
“After a year in which our nation endured a global pandemic, economic hardship and a contentious election, now is not the time to further ignite passion and division. It is time for our nation’s leaders to help America’s healing,” wrote Pence.
The former vice president has remained under the radar since he stepped down in January without public appearances, even when Trump publicly criticized his successor in a weekend speech to a group of supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida.
CNN’s Clare Foran and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.