March for Life Rally Celebrates Executive Actions

March for Life Rally Celebrates Executive Actions

While more than 100,000 people attended the 52nd annual March for Life rally Jan. 24 near the U.S. Capitol, the Trump administration issued executive orders banning the use of taxpayer funds to promote and perform abortions domestically and internationally.

Addressing the spirited crowd at the National Mall, Vice President J.D. Vance said it is “a joy and a blessing to fight for the unborn.”

“We march to live out the sacred truth that every single child is a miracle and a gift from God,” Vance said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told the crowd, “House and Senate Republicans are committed to protecting innocent life.”

“This new White House has already shown its resolve,” Johnson added. “As one of his first official acts, President Trump just freed and pardoned nearly two dozen wrongfully imprisoned pro-life activists.”

Johnson shared some of his personal life story about being the product of an unexpected pregnancy and his teenage parents’ refusal to listen to those who urged them to get an abortion.

“It’s a very simple fact that if they had not done that, then I would not be here,” he said. “I often wonder who else we have missed and what those individuals might have contributed to our society and to our world, but they were just never given the opportunity.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attended the rally alongside his wife and three children. 

“The sanctity of life does not depend on poll results,” DeSantis told the crowd. “It doesn’t depend on which way the wind is blowing. It’s an enduring truth, and it represents the foundation of our society, which in our original founding document, which we will celebrate next year, the Declaration of Independence, declared that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, beginning with the right to life itself.”

Also appearing at the rally were Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Katie Britt of Alabama, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Congressmen Andy Biggs of Arizona, Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota, Andy Harris of Maryland, Bob Latta of Ohio, John McGuire of Virginia, Bob Onder of Missouri, Chris Smith of New Jersey and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, all Republicans.

President Trump addressed the crowd via video, where he promised that his new administration will continue to “stand proudly for families and for life” as well as ensure protections for churches, crisis pregnancy centers and other pro-life organizations.

Trump’s executive orders restored the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits U.S. government global health funding from being used to fund foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that perform or promote abortion. The policy also blocks foreign organizations that receive global health grants from providing any type of financial assistance to other foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortion.

In 2017, the Trump administration renamed the Mexico City Policy the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy (PLGHA).

Currently, the PLGHA policy only applies to certain kinds of U.S. government grants and cooperative agreements. But a new proposed rule issued by the Trump administration last week would extend the policy to contracts as well.

Consequently, foreign contractors would be banned from conducting any activities directly aimed at encouraging women to seek abortion and they would be prohibited from lobbying activities in support of the legalization of abortion.

When the PLGHA policy is included as a clause in their contract agreement, contractors would then be required to pass down the policy to any subcontractors.

Another Trump executive order reaffirms the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding policy barring the use of federal funds for elective abortions domestically that used to garner some bipartisan support but now is almost exclusively upheld by the GOP.

The Trump administration also announced plans to limit the enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, arguing that it has been used to target pro-life activists unfairly. This decision reflects the administration’s stance on protecting the rights of individuals engaging in peaceful protest outside abortion businesses. Pro-life groups have called the end of using the Justice Department against law-abiding pro-life Americans a significant free speech victory.

Under the new directive, actions under the FACE Act will proceed only under “extraordinary circumstances” involving “significant aggravating factors.” That means FACE Act actions will be permitted in only circumstances involving factors like death, serious bodily harm or serious property damage.

This policy change has already led to the immediate dismissal of three ongoing cases in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where pro-life advocates were charged with blockading clinics in 2021.

SBA Pro-Life America President Majorie Dannenfelser lauded the new administration’s pro-life advocacy.

“With this action the president is getting American taxpayers out of the abortion business and restoring sanity to the federal government. This is a big win for babies and mothers, and it reflects the will of the majority of Americans who strongly oppose bankrolling the abortion industry at home and abroad. On behalf of pro-life Americans and the moms and babies that will be saved from the tragedy of abortion, thank you, President Trump.”

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