Mike Pence becomes first VP to speak at March for Life rally: ‘Life is winning’
Vice President Mike Pence declared the Trump administration’s commitment to the antiabortion movement at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C.
On Friday, Pence became the first vice president to address the annual abortion protest since its inception in 1974. It is held every year on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision to legalize abortion nationwide in Roe v. Wade.
“We will not rest until we restore a culture of life for ourselves and our posterity,” Pence told the crowd.
Pence assured the crowd that Trump would appoint an antiabortion, conservative justice to the Supreme Court in the conservative tradition of the late Antonin Scalia. He also outlined steps that the administration has already taken — and will continue to take — to withhold funding from health organizations that support abortion rights and vowed to restore the “pro-life” values that he believes are inherent in the nation’s founding documents.
Pence accused the Supreme Court of betraying the Declaration of Independence’s affirmation that life itself is an unalienable, God-given right with the Roe v. Wade decision.
“Today, three generations hence, because of all of you and the many thousands who stand with us in marches like this all across the nation, life is winning again in America,” he said to cheers and applause.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)
According to Pence, a turning point in fighting abortion is evident in the election of antiabortion majorities in Congress and the inauguration of Trump.
“President Trump actually asked me to be with you here today,” Pence said. “He asked me to thank you for your support, for your stand for life and for your compassion for the women and children of America.”
On Monday, Trump signed two executive orders that reinstated the so-called Mexico City policy that had been rescinded by former President Barack Obama eight years ago. This policy bars foreign NGOs that offer abortion-related services or lobby on behalf of abortion from receiving U.S. aid. Pence said this action illustrates Trump’s dedication to keeping his promises to the American people.
The vice president also said the Trump administration plans to work with Congress to ensure that domestic organizations that perform abortions do not receive taxpayer money.
“Life is winning in America,” he reiterated. “And today is a celebration of that progress.”
Shortly before Pence took the stage, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, addressed the March for Life rally. She said that he would take decisive actions to further their cause.
“Every day is a fight for life, yet today is also a celebration of life. It is a time to lift your voices and lift your spirits. Steps away from here in the White House, a president and a vice president sit at their desks and make decisions for a nation. As they sit there, they stand here with you.”
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