Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday asked Senate Republicans not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new Health and Human Services secretary because of Kennedy's stance on abortion.

Kennedy, who was nominated for the position by President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday, has publicly supported a woman's right to choose whether they have an abortion, and said he does not support the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

Pence said that if Kennedy is confirmed to lead the department, he would be the "most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in modern history."

“I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of Pro-Life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades,” Pence said in a statement.

The former vice president, who launched his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination last year, said the Trump-Pence administration was "unapologetically pro-life for our four years in office," and that voters look at the Republican Party as one that stands "for life."

"On behalf of tens of millions of pro-life Americans, I respectfully urge Senate Republicans to reject this nomination and give the American people a leader who will respect the sanctity of life as secretary of Health and Human Services," he added.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.