As hundreds of thousands of Americans gather on the National Mall on this solemn anniversary of the Supreme Court’s gravest error, the March for Life stands today as something more than an act of protest. It is a testament to perseverance, and a celebration of hope. Roe v. Wade is no more, and after nearly 50 years of struggle and prayer, America has been granted a new beginning for life.
For generations, pro-life Americans marched in the cold not because victory was near, but because conscience demanded it. They came year after year — young and old, people of every race and faith — bearing witness to a timeless truth: that every human life is created equal and endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right to life. Their faithfulness changed history.
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Serving in the most pro-life administration in American history was one of my life’s highest honors. We reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ensure that American tax dollars were never used to fund abortion overseas. We cut funding to U.N. programs that promoted abortion. I proudly cast the tiebreaking vote to allow states to defund Planned Parenthood. And we confirmed nearly 300 conservative judges, including a majority of the Supreme Court justices who voted to end the travesty of Roe v. Wade.
But the end of Roe was not the end of the pro-life movement — it was only the end of the beginning.
Since that historic day, pro-life Americans have gone to work. States like Indiana, Texas, Georgia, and Florida have enacted strong protections for unborn children while also expanding support for mothers, families, and adoption. These laws are saving lives, and they reflect the compassion of a movement that believes we must protect both mother and child.
But the story is not the same everywhere. Democrat-led states have rushed in the opposite direction, allowing abortion up to the moment of birth and stripping unborn children of any legal protection. These barbaric policies ignore medical science, defy public opinion, and deny the most basic principles of human dignity.
At the same time, new headwinds have emerged closer to home — even within the ranks of those who once claimed the pro-life banner. Congress confirmed a pro-abortion Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and some Republicans have abandoned our long-standing opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion altogether.
These concerns extend to the executive branch as well. President Trump has recently called for “flexibility” on taxpayer funding of abortion, and as more than half of all abortions are now carried out through chemical means, the administration has failed to act. Secretary Kennedy continues to ignore calls to restrict the abortion drug mifepristone, despite mounting evidence of its dangers to women.
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These developments should concern every American who cherishes life. The sanctity of life cannot be relegated to the margins of our national debate. It must be returned to the center of American law.
So today, as hundreds of thousands gather once again — braving the cold, lifting their voices, and renewing their prayers — let us give thanks for all that has been accomplished for the unborn. But let us also resolve that we will not grow weary, nor will we grow silent. We will hold our leaders accountable. We will work in Congress, in the White House, in the courts, and in state capitols across the nation. And we will press on until the first and most fundamental right — the right to life — is fully restored for every American, born and unborn.
Mike Pence served as the 48th Vice President of the United States and is the founder of Advancing American Freedom.
