Yesterday I had the distinct opportunity of participating in a conference with a remarkable group of women. These women have a wide variety of life experience and backgrounds– ranging from a young actress to a former Member of Congress, to a person considered the most powerful woman in business in America during a period of time.

What brought us all together yesterday is that we believe conservative ideals help women to most fully flourish. We also know that all issues are women’s issues, not just one. Below is a snippet from my remarks yesterday.

“As the President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, my organization’s goal is to help build a culture of life in the United States— a culture in which no woman in her right mind would ever choose abortion. A culture in which marriage, family, religious freedom are all respected. A culture that is about loving women, loving babies, and loving life. A place where people are encouraged and enabled to fully and  humanly flourish.

Sadly, in many ways this is not our current cultural reality. There are so many confusing messages out there especially about the issue of abortion. Of course we are all well aware of the false “war on women” rhetoric.

I’m of the mind that the real war on women is more about a crisis in what it means to be human; to be a person, and in particular, a woman. One might call it a crisis in anthropology. Which may sound very heady but I think it especially impacts our young women negatively by presenting very confusing messages to them.

On one hand, we are defined by our body — I saw a study of women recently – what makes you feel worse — losing a job; problems with friends; 10 extra pounds? The majority answered 10 extra pounds. We are in a culture that places a premium on looks from head to toe. . On one extreme– you are almost defined by your body and what you look like.

The other extreme is the belief that “what I do with my body; it doesn’t mean anything – it’s only physical.” As if just being “physical” also depletes emotion.  “It’s only physical” pops up in the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine – perpetuating the idea to women that just being “physical” doesn’t mean anything.

Perhaps it is the case that the body has significance and much to “teach” about how we were made and how we will find fulfillment; the body can’t be detached from me. Our bodies make clear that women are completely, intrinsically, different but complementary, to a man. So a woman’s capacity to be a mom falls well within this.

Recently Gloria Steinem, famed feminist, was quoted saying that “if we [women] didn’t have wombs we’d be fine.” In doing so she is perpetuating the idea “don’t define me by my capacity to have children”. My question to women is: is it a good thing to view a woman’s capacity to bear a child as a form of slavery or bondage that she needs to be freed from or at the very least in control of? I think not. To pretend that a woman’s capacity to bear children is insignificant is not empowering to women. It’s the opposite.

What we really need is be pro-women without leaving out any part of her, like the amazing beautiful fact that she can be a mom.

A pro-abortion industry has influenced our culture so much that abortions are almost glorified in Hollywood. We need a culture that values life in this country and we need to move beyond the ways that liberals define women.”

For a full recap of the event, click here to read out our Storify story.  A full album of pictures from the event, are available by clicking here.

The post What it Really Means to be Pro-Woman appeared first on March For Life.

Hey Republicans, That’s An Awful Nice Majority You Have There. Be a Real Shame if Something Happened To It.

Without a doubt Republicans had a good night Election night.  While there are a handful of races still outstanding, House Republicans are on track to have their largest majority since they had 270 seats in the in the 71st Congress (1929-1930).

The election has a number of interesting tidbits (most from the Washington Post and other sources (noted)):

•  Senators-elect Tom Cotton and Joni Ernst are two of the first Iraq War veterans elected to the Senate.  Former Rep. Cotton also gives Arkansas two Republican Senators for the first time since 1879.
• For the first time ever, more than 100 female legislators will be voting in the next session of Congress. With Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s Senate victory in West Virginia, the state has its first female senator.  Joni Ernst, who won the Iowa Senate race, will be the first woman elected to federal office in that state.
• Elise Stefanik, who won the House race in New York’s 21st District, is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She is 30.
• Mia Love, who won the House race in Utah’s 4th District, is the first black woman to be elected as a Republican representative.
• Will Hurd, who won a House race in Texas, became the first black Republican to win a federal election in the state since Reconstruction.
• 29 Senators who voted for Obamacare have now been booted from the Senate by voters since 2010.

A lesson from the elections is that being pro-life beats being pro-abortion.  Three high profile Republican candidates that highlighted their pro-abortion stances and also had a lot of financial support from the Republican Leadership and Establishment lost (or in one case, is losing).

Senator Scott Brown (who was a Senator from Massachusetts for a little while, and this year ran for the Senate  in New Hampshire), Richard Tisei, and Carl DeMaio all were sold as “new Republicans” who embrace the culture of death.  All of them lost in what was otherwise a Republican tidal wave.

So what does this mean for the 114^th Congress, which could easily be seen as a heavily pro-life House of Representatives  and a more pro-life Senate?

In the House, we should expect votes on numerous pro-life bills that have been voted on in the past, such as the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, as well as legislation that was not voted on, knowing it would lie in limbo in the Senate.

The Senate though is not a lock for pro-life votes.  There are a number of Republicans in the U.S. Senate who are either pro-abortion or marginally on the side of the unborn.  Any pro-life legislation will have to be carefully crafted and eased through the Senate chamber to even reach a majority of support of 51.  Getting 60 votes to overcome any expected filibuster will be even more difficult considering there is only one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who could be considered pro-life.  However you should expect a vote on the Pain Capable bill as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), as well as a number of newly elected Republican Senators, ran on the platform of a vote on that specific legislation.

That of course wasn’t the only issue Republicans ran on.  This election was more about not being President Obama than it was about being Republican.  Incoming Majority Leader McConnell, in a press conference following the election, named his primary Obamacare targets: the medical device tax, the individual mandate and the 30-hour work week.

The President’s signature issue, the health care law known as Obamacare, was also a primary talking point for winning candidates.  Nearly half of voters – 47 percent – said Obamacare went too far, according to a CNN exit poll. The exit poll survey of 11,522 voters included voters from a random sample of precincts on Tuesday, as well as voters who cast their ballots early or absentee.

The “party of repeal” might now be in power in both chambers of Congress; however, they fall short of the necessary 60 votes needed to pass legislation in the Senate, let alone override a Presidential veto.

In a statement after Republicans took control of the Senate, House Speaker John Boehner did not mention health care. He said we can expect the jobs and energy bills passed by the House to be voted on in the Senate, and he talked about fixing the tax code, legal, regulatory and education systems. He mentioned nothing on Obamacare or pro-life bills.

Bottom line, if the Republicans want to keep their recently won majority they will need to be bold in the House of Representatives on pro-life issues and the Senate Republicans will need to unite on the pro-life issue, regardless of their personal view on protecting the unborn.

Days until the 2016 election: 732 days

The post Midterm Election Victories, Republican Majority, and Pro-Life Legislation appeared first on March For Life.

Republicans will have full control of at least 29 state legislatures, the party’s largest total since 1928, perhaps earlier. Republicans also will hold at least 32 governorships, including newly won offices in traditionally Democratic Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

How important is this to those in Washington, D.C.?  The National Council of State Legislatures points out that the state legislature is where a high number of Federal legislators cut their teeth:

Half of the congressional freshman class will bring with them state legislative experience when the 114th Congress begins in mid-January. Tuesday’s results saw 29 current or former state legislators elected to the House of Representatives and six newly elected senators with backgrounds serving in their respective state capitals. While a number of elections around the country are either too close to call, not yet official, or face runoffs, the upcoming Congress will consist of 219 and 45 members in the House and Senate, respectively, with state legislative credentials, an increase over the previous two election cycles. When the dust settles, about half of the members in the 114th Congress will have served in state legislatures.

NCLS also points out that it was good election for Republicans, as they took the majority in 11 legislative chambers previously held by Democrats. Those chambers were:

• Colorado Senate
• Maine Senate
• Minnesota House
• Nevada Assembly
• Nevada Senate
• New Hampshire House
• New York Senate
• New Mexico House
• Washington Senate
• West Virginia House.
• West Virginia Senate (after Democratic Senator Daniel Hall switched his party affiliation to Republican).

Factoring in all of those changes, here are the bottom line numbers (the Nebraska unicameral Legislature is nonpartisan):

• Legislatures: 30 R, 11 D and 8 split
• Chambers: 68 R, 30 D
• Governors: 31 R, 18 D and 1 undecided (Alaska)
• State governments: 23 R, 7 D, 18 divided and 1 undecided (Alaska)

It appears that Republicans will have a net gain of close to 350 seats and control over 4,100 of the nation’s 7,383 legislative seats. That is their highest number of legislators since 1920. Republicans gained seats in every region of the country and in all but about a dozen legislative chambers that were up this year.

This will likely open doors to more pro-life legislation in states where one chamber or both were controlled by pro-abortion politicians.

On ballot initiatives it was a mixed bag with the personhood movement failing in North Dakota and Colorado with amendments to grant the unborn constitutional rights.

However, in Tennessee voters approved a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to say that nothing in it protects the right to an abortion or the funding of an abortion. The measure distinguished the right to privacy from the right to an abortion. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, AP said the measure was approved by a vote margin of 54 percent to 46 percent the amendment was a response to a Tennessee Supreme Court ruling in 2000 that said abortion was protected by the state constitution. The amendment was brought before the legislature four months after that decision, but it took nearly 14 years to become law because of political opposition and the state’s lengthy referendum process.

Because of the pro-life laws in surrounding states, Tennessee had become an “abortion destination” spot. Almost 19 percent of the women getting abortions in Tennessee were from out of state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health, in order to avoid pro-life laws like parental consent, in adjacent states.

More than $4 million in advertising for and against an abortion measure had flooded airwaves and mailboxes in Tennessee since the start of October, with opponents outstripping supporters by nearly a 3-1 ratio.

Republican Beth Harwell, speaker of the Tennessee House, said she is backing a trio of abortion bills that include:

• A mandatory waiting period before a woman seeking an abortion can obtain one.
• Inspection requirements for all facilities where abortions are performed.
• Mandatory counseling — or “informed consent” — be provided to a woman before an abortion.

The post Real Pro-life Victories Happened on the State Level appeared first on March For Life.

One fine tradition that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) started a few years ago was opening each Congress with a bipartisan, multi-denominational prayer service. The theme of the service this year (chosen by the official House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick Conroy, S.J.) was “Building Community Toward a Common Purpose.”

The service included readings from Proverbs (2:1-10), Bhagavad-Gita (XVIII 57-58) and from the Gospel of Mark (12:28-34).  The readings focused on service and were all tied together by Rev. Conroy as he asked the Members of Congress gathered to pray for their colleagues as they work together.

One issue in need of such coalition work is the issue of life.  Facing an overtly hostile media some pro-lifers are afraid that Congress will not take the steps necessary to challenge the most pro-abortion President of our lifetime, Barack Obama. Starting in his original campaign, President Obama has been bold in the case of abortion, ending with the passage of one of the most anti-life pieces of legislation in generations, his health care law commonly known as Obamacare.  As for the pro-abortion Democratic Leadership, they have supported legislation, misnamed, the “Women’s Health Protection Act”, which would nullify every and any advance for the cause of life.

Facing such boldness for the cause of abortion, the pro-lifers in charge of Congress need to have the same boldness.  This is a priority first and foremost for moral reasons, but also for political reasons – as the nation is more pro-life than pro-abortion.  For years, Congress has fought to maintain the status quo and has been losing.  It is long past time to take the initiative on popular and needed pro-life legislation.  A good start would be the following:

• In the House, passing the Federal Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which provides protection nationwide for unborn children who have the capacity to experience pain while being aborted, a capacity defined in the bill as existing by 20 weeks fetal age.

• Also in the House, passing the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which would clearly and permanently prohibit all taxpayer dollars from being used to cover abortion, including the indirect funding that occurs through subsidies to insurance purchasers.

• Passing the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which would require every insurance plan established by Obamacare to clearly indicate whether or not it covers abortion.

• Protecting current pro-life provisions (also called riders) and adding new ones to end of year spending bills. Every year, pro-life protections such as the Hyde Amendment, are included in end of year Appropriations bills. Under President Obama’s Administration,  new threats to life and issues of conscience have grown by incredible bounds.  Congress needs to use the power of the purse to turn back this President’s support of the death industry known as abortion.

One of the top priorities for this Congress should be to return the Congressional Appropriations process to regular order.  It has been nearly a decade since Congress has done its very basic job, appropriating funds to pay for the workings of the federal government.  Instead Congress has repeatedly passed large, unreadable, unworkable Omnibuses or continuing resolutions, which does little to contain inappropriate spending curbing pro-abortion, taxpayer funded, outreach by the federal government.

All the above should just be a start, being done in the first year, if not hundred days.  Despite the U.S. Senate being controlled by Republicans, it is not controlled by a pro-life majority, so groups working on legislation in the 114^th Congress will have a lot of work ahead of them in passing some of these initiatives – admittedly some of these bills might even take multiple Congresses to enact.  However, without boldness now on the issue of life, the current Congress might not deserve to be given the chance in future Congresses.

The post 114th Congress: The Brave Need to Be Bold appeared first on March For Life.

Guest blog post by Corinne Zay, March for Life intern

Making major news recently is the story out of Hagerstown, Maryland of a pregnant high school Senior, Maddi Runkles, denied the opportunity to participate in graduation from her small Christian academy. Maddi is a straight A student who has been involved in many extracurricular activities at her small school, which requires all students to sign a Christian code of conduct to attend. Included in the code of conduct is the concept that the sexual act is meant for marriage, and the school rightly expects students to abide by this rule.

Earlier this year Maddi discovered that she was pregnant with a baby boy due in September. Acknowledging that she broke the code of conduct, Maddi apologized to the school administration. The school board determined that Maddi would lose her position on Student Council and involvement in extracurricular activities at school, in addition to prohibiting her to walk at her high school graduation in June. Major media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC have reported this story, which has remained in the headlines for days:

• Christian school: Teen banned from graduation ‘not because she is pregnant but because she was immoral’
• Christian School Bans Pregnant Senior From Graduation, Pro-Lifers Respond
• Pregnant Maryland Student Barred From High School Graduation Ceremony
• Pregnant at 18. Hailed by Abortion Foes. Punished by Christian School.

Despite the consequences of her life being altered, and her graduation experience being diminished, outcries of support have come from various pro-life organizations with encouragement for her strong courageous decision to choose life and proceed with her pregnancy. Students for Life of America has voiced their support for Maddi and helped her to embrace her decision of life, including having her as a speaker at their #Sockit2PP campaign in efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.

This support for pregnant mothers is crucial and at the heart of the pro-life movement. March for Life, where I have the blessing of interning this summer, has also released statements regarding the need to support students in this situation with life-affirming actions. The value of the child’s life needs support, in addition to the mothers. Although Maddi may have been denied the support she needed from her school, she has been a tremendous voice of bravery for other pregnant and parenting students. She has joined these organizations by lovingly accepting their support and is paying it forward as a sign of hope for future mothers.

Maddi has drawn attention to the challenge student mothers and fathers face, particularly in Christian culture environments. Maddi and other parenting students inspire universities and schools across America to care for their beloved mothers on campus. Being pregnant on a college campus and in a high school is naturally very intimidating. However, in particular, devout Christian schools may encourage an environment that ironically creates a greater temptation to abort because of the increased likelihood of perceived shame with peers and faculty. The Christian values of love and mercy are so easily distorted by a focus on justice and pride. Even in my own backyard, I fight this distortion of good as President of Ave for Life.

Just this year we launched our first initiative of Pregnant on Campus at my college, Ave Maria University. Ave Maria University is a small Catholic college located in southwest Florida. The campus culture at Ave Maria is one of great joy. Students often attend daily mass, engage in discussions about faith, and work hard to become holy each day (not just on campus). Although Ave Maria University does not have a code of conduct, the moral standard each student holds themselves to is simply understood on campus and truly geared toward being the best version of ourselves.

Although this culture is overwhelmingly positive, Ave Maria is very much full of humans. It is in our human nature that we fail and then learn the importance of mercy and love towards each other. It was in my experience in leading Ave for Life that I had the opportunity to learn authentic love of the pregnant mother.

In February, one of our board members and friends came to me and told me that we had a pregnant student on campus. I was so excited to be able to serve this mother and get to know her. It was then about a month later that I met Beth and learned more about her. Here was a young freshman student at Ave Maria pregnant with a child and we as a pro-life student organization had the opportunity to support.

Ave for Life had discussed beginning a program “Pregnant on Campus” prior to learning about Beth, but God’s timing was impeccable. We began planning and discussing the importance of this issue on our campus. We knew the heart of the issue was how we as a campus would adapt to become a welcoming and loving environment for a pregnant and parenting student.

With the culture of Ave Maria focused on moral values and virtue, many on campus neglected the possibility or idea of a pregnant student. Our Board took this question to the administration and together began working towards solutions. In working with Beth and a handful of other pregnant mothers on our campus we learned how to better support students in this situation.

First, we considered resources that we could offer pregnant and parenting students. We talked with residence hall directors, administration, and local clinics about the opportunities and legal rights we could offer to pregnant and parenting students.  Next, we began to plan to make physical improvements on our campus such as adding changing tables to bathrooms and high chairs to dining areas. Finally, and most importantly, we observed the cultural change and discussion that needed to occur on our campus regarding pregnancy. While our campus believes in preserving sexual intimacy for marriage, we also believe in mercy and want to be as life-affirming as possible.  Regardless of how a baby is conceived, every life is a gift and a miracle to be received with love!

This past March this year, we launched our Pregnant on Campus initiative to helps students further understand the best ways to support a woman who is pregnant on campus. One of the most important lessons we learned is that because this has not been discussed on campus, it is possible and even probably that many pregnancies have gone unnoticed and unannounced; some that may have even sadly resulted in abortion. Our most important goal with this initiative is to show our brothers and sisters in Christ that Ave Maria is a place where motherhood should be embraced.

It is with this story and goal in mind that I share our authentic Ave for Life culture and encourage other schools and campuses to support your students. One of the simplest things we can do each day is to love our neighbor. We do not know the cross they are carrying. Maybe it is their work stress, maybe it is their day to day tasks, but maybe it is an unexpected pregnancy. Love your neighbor where they are at. To Beth and to Maddi: we are praying for you and we appreciate your unspoken courage in choosing life!

“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?” – Mother Teresa

The post These Students Are Leading With Love appeared first on March For Life.

Along with pro-life allies, the March for Life sent a coalition letter to the Department of Justice and FBI regarding an investigation into Planned Parenthood. The letter addresses Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe and it writes: “The previous administration decided to turn a blind eye to the wrongdoing, which led to the creation of the select panel. We request that the Justice Department continue the investigation into the practices surrounding this scandal.”

>>>> You can read the full letter HERE.

The post March for Life Leads Letter to Department of Justice appeared first on March For Life.

“The Power of One” was the 2017 March for Life theme.  That theme was made manifest in a gentle man with a giant heart, who showered his gifts on the pro-life movement. Today I had the privilege of attending the funeral of Deacon Mark Gallagher, a man, who, in the words of Congressman Chris Smith, was a “pro-life unsung hero,” working tirelessly as a pro-life lobbyist for the United States Catholic Bishops for 33 years. (Click HERE or the Congressional Record image to read the full statement from Congressman Smith.)

He passed away last week at the age of 75. He was a beloved husband to Kathy and father to Mark, Kim, Andrew, Lillian, David, Judy, Charles, Kate, and John. He was selfless, a “rock”, and a font of wisdom, as described to the packed church, including dozens of priests and a bishop.

While his family and friends are painfully grieving Mark’s sudden loss, there was overwhelming peace during the mass and a profound sense of the fruitfulness of his life.

One of his most significant legislative accomplishments was contributing to the enactment of the Hyde Amendment in 1976, which prohibits taxpayer dollars paying for most abortions. The Hyde Amendment is undoubtedly the single most effective pro-life public policy in the history of the United States; a study published in 2016 by Dr. Michael New showed that the Hyde Amendment has saved at least two million lives in its time.

Such an impact on our culture often comes at personal cost. Mark had war wounds from striving daily to fight the culture of darkness with a culture of life, love, light. He loved the Lord and lived his life totally centered on Him. His life and his sufferings bore inestimable fruit, much like the grain of wheat that falls to the ground and dies in order to bear fruit.

Mark Gallagher lived a beautiful life, centered on love. He perfectly embodied “the power of one.” May we all be inspired by his story to respond generously to God’s call and be the instrument that seeks the good of all.

The post Honoring the Life of a Pro-Life Hero: Mark Gallagher appeared first on March For Life.

In May, the House of Representatives passed a health care reconciliation bill that contained pro-life protections, such as a prohibition on any federal tax subsidies paying for abortion and a redirection of Planned Parenthood’s funding towards Federally Qualified Health Centers.

But with so many issues on the table, I’m concerned about our pro-life priorities remaining in the legislation as it works its way through the Senate.

This is the opportunity to defund Planned Parenthood, so pro-life America must speak out!

>>>> Your voice is needed to urge the Senate to keep these critical pro-life policies in the bill. Contact your Senators today!

WATCH March for Life President Jeanne Mancini and March for Life Action President Tom McClusky discuss the pro-life concerns with the legislation.

Thank you for making your voice heard on this important issue!

The post Pro-Life Concerns in Senate Health Care Bill appeared first on March For Life.

Over the weekend, the Washington Post Magazine published a piece entitled, “I Could Use My Voice,” featuring ten activists from a wide spectrum of issues.

They even included a pro-life advocate, our very own Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life!

In the piece, Jeanne is able to share some of the truths that drive her and our work at the March for Life:

“I believe that everybody has inherent human dignity, from conception to natural death. And each person has the right to live out their unique mission. I can’t think of a more important social justice cause.”

The full piece also includes a video montage of the activists, with a clip of Jeanne at the March for Life, proclaiming, “pro-life is pro-woman!

Reflecting on the contentiousness of the issue of abortion, Jeanne goes on to say, “But you can’t back down because of fear, or what people think, or your reputation. You have to do what you know in your heart is right. How can you not?”

What an inspiring reminder for each of us!

In this time of cultural division, we each must stand strong in the truth of our beliefs and in our work to build a culture of life.

>>>> Be sure to read the entire segment on March for Life President Jeanne Mancini HERE.

The post Profile of Jeanne Mancini in the Washington Post appeared first on March For Life.

The post Jeanne Mancini Attends White House Meeting on Health Care Legislation appeared first on March For Life.

Abby Johnson is the epitome of “the power of one.”

At the 2017 March for Life, Abby shared her story of quitting her job as director of a Planned Parenthood and going on to start a pro-life organization, And Then There Were None (ATTWN).

“I stand in front of you today as a woman who spent 8 years of her life working and running a Planned Parenthood facility but because of the power of conversion…I stand in front of you, as a woman who has been redeemed from her past.”

ATTWN has helped 330 abortion clinic workers and seven full-time abortion doctors leave the abortion industry. In fact, many of these “quitters,” as she affectionately calls them, stood with her on stage at the March for Life.

Abby relates the “power of one” to each of the “quitters” standing with her. “Almost every woman standing here today was touched by one person. For a client named Annette, it was some someone who slipped our website [brochure] under her windshield.” She goes on to say, “For me, it was a 13 week baby in the womb who changed my life.”

In 2010, the year after she quit her job at Planned Parenthood, Abby published, “Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line.” In the memoir, Abby tells the story of assisting in an actual abortion procedure – of a 13-week baby in the womb – and being hit by the realization of what was happening. That dramatic moment led her to quit her job and walk out of the abortion industry forever.

>>>> Many March for Life participants had a chance to meet with Abby and purchase copies of “UnPlanned” at a book signing at the March for Life Conference and Expo. You can also purchase the book from Amazon.

Abby concluded her 2017 March for Life remarks with these encouraging and bold words, urging participants to dig down and realize the “power of one” in each of us, which collectively becomes an unstoppable force.

“Now is the time to be unabashedly pro-life; to be bold in our defense of the unborn and their mothers. Through the power of all of us, we will not only work to make abortion illegal but we will see a day when abortion is truly unthinkable in this country.”

>>>> Learn more about And Then There Were None.

The post Hundreds of Abortion Workers Leaving the Industry appeared first on March For Life.

On Tuesday, March for Life President Jeanne Mancini, gathered with other pro-life leaders to urge Congress to take action on defunding the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, and to redirect those funds to life-affirming health care centers.

The press conference was part of Students for Life’s #Sockit2PP, in which they collected 328,348 baby socks, representing the tragic number of babies lost to abortion at Planned Parenthood each year.

You can read Jeanne Mancini’s remarks and watch the video below:

“On behalf of the March for Life and the collectively millions of pro-life Americans that have participated over the years—the large majority young people — we join together today in a united voice, a majority voice that seeks to defend and protect the inherent dignity of every human person. Abortion is the human rights issue of today but Americans are moving in the direction of life. 

Consider a recent poll revealed that eight out of 10 Americans would limit abortion to—at most—the first three months of pregnancy.

And most Americans (six out of 10) believe that abortion is morally wrong. While groups like Planned Parenthood seek to “shout your abortion,” the truth is that abortion always takes a life and wounds another and even the best PR campaign funded by millions of dollars can’t change this reality. 

Planned Parenthood is our nation’s largest abortion provider, sadly committing over 320,000 abortions during the last year that data was available. All the while getting almost half of their more than billion dollar budget from federal and state gov’t grants; from our taxpayer dollars.

Yet the majority of Americans (61 percent) do not support taxpayer funding for abortion.

We are at a critical juncture to send the federal and state dollars that our nation’s largest abortion provider has been receiving to real health alternatives, the kind of holistic health centers that outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities by a margin of 20 – 1.”

WATCH: (Jeanne’s remarks begin at the 22:00 mark.)

The post It’s Time to Defund Planned Parenthood appeared first on March For Life.

The upcoming 2018 March for Life will be the 45^th annual March for Life, totaling 45 years of Roe v. Wade – and legalized abortion – in America. This corresponds with the loss of nearly 59 million Americans to abortion in our country since 1973.

This is a tragic, heartbreaking statistic to consider. Every abortion is one too many, and our vision at the March for Life is a world in which every human life is valued and protected. We work towards the day when abortion is unthinkable in our country.

While there is still much work to be done, the pro-life movement has made great progress in the past 45 years. March for Life President Jeanne Mancini recently wrote about this in the Heritage Foundation’s 2017 Index of Culture and Opportunity in a piece entitled “Why Life is Winning.”

Among other signs that life is winning, she cites the steep decline in the abortion rate since its height in 1980.

Pro-life scholar Chuck Donovan of the Charlotte Lozier Institute recently joined Jeanne to discuss the abortion rate, as well as other cultural and legislative indicators on the side of life. Chuck also discussed a winning approach: to overwhelm ‘the other side’ with love.

WATCH:

A few key points discussed include:

• After the legalization of abortion in 1973, the numbers and rate of abortions surged for a period. In 1980, abortion rates began to decrease. The Hyde amendment, barring Medicaid-funded abortions was passed in 1976.
• The rate continues to decrease under both Republican and Democrat Administrations – we need to look to cultural factors to fully understand.
• Ultimately, the American people are rejecting the fundamental message of Roe; which is that abortion has minimal legal limits, is medically routine, and that it can happen up to birth.
• When you look at the numbers, we’re back at the 1973 level today. Will the Americans take the next step and decide that Roe is bad law?
• We now have a generation that has experienced what abortion does – our youth understand that abortion is violence; and they reject it.
• With ultrasound technology and what we know about abortion procedures, there is no way an abortion can be classified as anything other than violence. You also cannot deny the humanity of the baby in the womb.
• Abortion clinics are also declining in number, while Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) have proliferated. These centers date back to the early days of the pro-life movement.
• There are 3100 PRCs across the country – that’s 4x the number of abortion clinics.
• There’s still a lot of work to do with 900,000 abortions per year and chemical abortions on the rise.

For more information:

Heritage Foundation Index of Opportunity on Culture: “Why Life is Winning,” by Jeanne Mancini

Heritage Foundation “Index of Culture and Opportunity”: Life Is on the Right Track

The post VIDEO: Why Life is Winning appeared first on March For Life.

Contact:

Kate Bryan – kbryan@crcpublicrelations.com, 703-683-5004 x1136
Matille Thebolt – mthebolt@crcpublicrelations.com, 571-501-4067
Mari Buttarazzi – mbuttarazzi@crcpublicrelations.com, 703-683-5004 x1120

MEDIA ADVISORY

The 45^th Annual March for Life Theme to be Announced at Capitol Hill Briefing Tuesday October 3^rd, 2017

Briefing, hosted by Rep. Diane Black, to include panel of pro-life experts who will discuss how the pro-life movement continues to empower women for life

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The March for Life Education and Defense Fund will be announcing the theme for the 45^th annual March for Life, to be held this year on January 19^th, 2018, at a briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, October 3^rd, 2017. The briefing will include a panel, moderated by March for Life President Jeanne Mancini, comprised of pro-life leaders Susan Gallucci, Northwest Center Executive Director; Chuck Donovan, President of Charlotte Lozier Institute; and Alison Howard Centofante, Director of Alliance Relations at Alliance Defending Freedom, who will discuss the current landscape for loving, life-affirming abortion alternatives that support women and families and why now more than ever it is important to speak boldly for life.

What: Capitol Hill Briefing Announcing the 45^th Annual March for Life Theme

When: Tuesday October 3^rd, 2017
12:00PM – 1:30PM ET

Where: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Room HVC-201
East Capitol St. and 1st St. NE, Washington D.C.

Panel:

• Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life Education and Defense Fund
• Susan Gallucci, Northwest Center Executive Director
• Chuck Donovan, President of Charlotte Lozier Institute
• Alison Howard Centofante, Director of Alliance Relations at Alliance Defending Freedom

Hosted by: Representative Diane Black (R-TN)

*Lunch will be provided

RSVPs are required – please send to Kate Bryan (kbryan@crcpublicrelations.com), Matille Thebolt (mthebolt@crcpublicrelations.com), or Mari Buttarazzi (mbuttarazzi@crcpublicrelations.com)

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The 2018 March for Life is three months away! If you haven’t already, be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, January 19 to march for life in Washington, D.C. Below are three simple things you can do to get your planning started.

1. Sign up!

By signing up for March for Life email updates, we’ll be sure to send you the latest information about the March for Life, speaker announcements, and other important pro-life opportunities.

2. Download the March for Life app!

The app is a great way to connect with the March for Life community. You’ll also have all of the March for Life planning and logistical details at your fingertips. It’s available for iPhone and Android users.

3. Invite your friends!

We need the voice of every pro-life American to speak out against the injustice of abortion and to witness to the beauty of life at the March for Life. Please commit to inviting friends to participate in the 2018 March for Life!

Increased participation not only strengthens the public witness against abortion but being a Marcher is a transformative activity! It is so easy to invite– you can use email, social media, or simply make an old-fashioned phone call!

Below is the Facebook event. And you can click HERE to find more user-friendly, downloadable items to help you spread the word.

Thank you for being part of the world’s largest pro-life event. Together, we can end abortion.

See you in January!

The post 3 Ways to Prepare for the March for Life! appeared first on March For Life.

Today, lawmakers and pro-life leaders joined together to support the Conscience Protection Act in a press conference on Capitol Hill. The legislation would protect the conscience rights of health care providers from the power of federal and state governments coercing them to participate in the brutal act of abortion.

The post Conscience Protection Act Capitol Hill Press Conference appeared first on March For Life.

Today’s countdown to the 2018 March for Life is 46 days! Amidst the busy holiday season, we hope you are also making your preparations to join us in Washington, D.C. for the 45^th Annual March for Life.

Today’s #MarchforLifeMonday tip is pretty simple – be sure to attend the March for Life rally, before the actual march begins! You’ll hear from pro-life leaders like March for Life President Jeanne Mancini and Pam Tebow. More speakers will be announced soon, so stay tuned!

>>>> Click HERE to watch inspiring speeches from past March for Life rallies.

Here are the details on the rally:

Friday, January 19, 2018
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
National Mall – 12th St. (between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive)
Washington, D.C.

*please note this is a different rally location from 2017, due to National Park Service regulations.

Prior to the rally, come and enjoy the musical performance by the award-winning artist Plumb! You won’t want to miss this inspirational and reflective time, a half hour prior to the start of the rally (11:30 a.m.).

We look forward to seeing you in January. Don’t forget to explore the March for Life website, download our Trip Planner, or download the March for Life app to assist with your trip-planning!

The post Join us at the March for Life Rally! appeared first on March For Life.

What a year it has been! We want to thank all of our friends on social media who follow the work of the March for Life, and partner with us to spread the truth about life.

Social media provides a great opportunity to influence our culture and communities for life through stories, videos, visuals, and by simply sharing the truth about life and abortion. On Facebook and Twitter, March for Life’s content was viewed over 75 million times!

This was only possible because of you – thank you!

We thought you’d enjoy seeing our Top 10 posts from the year – and we look forward to sharing even more powerful pro-life posts in 2018!

Facebook:

Twitter:

We are missing 57 million people in the U.S. b/c of abortion. Each one could have changed the world. This is #whywemarch #marchforlife pic.twitter.com/Kr67aaBqn8

— March for Life (@March_for_Life) January 27, 2017

Abortion is not healthcare because killing isn’t healing. #DoNoHarm #DefundPP #redirectthefunds pic.twitter.com/UXeUU8Z0TA

— March for Life (@March_for_Life) September 25, 2017

Half a million unborn baby girls are lost to abortion each year… #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2017 pic.twitter.com/SpzXbk87nh

— March for Life (@March_for_Life) March 8, 2017

Instagram:

A post shared by March For Life (@marchforlife) on Jan 27, 2017 at 11:18am PST

Adoption, not abortion! #whywemarch #marchforlife #throwbackthursday Repost from @marychriscobb ・・・ Thank you for allowing me to experience the joy of life, @chris_maschal #prolife #prolifegeneration #marchforlife

A post shared by March For Life (@marchforlife) on Feb 2, 2017 at 12:56pm PST

Wow! Powerful statement on being #prolife and #prowoman from the #marchforlife! Photo Credit @churchpop #prolifegen #standforlife #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2017 #womensday #prolifefeminist

A post shared by March For Life (@marchforlife) on Mar 8, 2017 at 12:15pm PST

And our overall, most shared post…the Facebook Livestream of the 2017 March for Life rally!

Join us in 2018 as we continue to spread the truth about life!

The post 2017 Top 10 Social Media Posts appeared first on March For Life.

Guest story by Faith

Shared with permission by the March for Life. 

When my mother was pregnant with me, she thought she had miscarried several times. Upon running some prenatal diagnostic tests, her doctor revealed that I had a high likelihood of being born with a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome.

Delivery itself, the doctor cautioned my mom, could kill her. Why risk leaving 2 healthy kids motherless? Why cause her husband this pain…for a defect like me? Abortion was clearly the only “smart choice.”

My mom named me Faith because she chose life. She recognized my inherent dignity. She trusted God had a plan for me, regardless of my abilities or disabilities. And thank God she did.

Twenty years later, I can’t help but wonder if anyone would have noticed if I weren’t here. Twenty years later, I’m able to speak for the silent who never got their chance.

The pro-life movement is a chance to reflect on that “what if.” What if I weren’t here? What if YOU weren’t here? I can’t help but think about the countless people I could’ve known, but don’t–and how close I was to joining their ranks. I’m glad to be here. I’m glad to have been the exception.

I mourn for those like me who never had the chance to share a story with a happy ending. I march for them. I march because I could have been them. I march because I’m here…and they’re not.

>>>> Share YOUR “Love Saves Lives” #WhyWeMarch story HERE.

The post What If I Weren’t Here? appeared first on March For Life.

The March for Life is an incredible opportunity to share the truth about life and communicate the inherent dignity of the human person.

If you’re looking for inspiration for signage to bring, check out a few of our favorites from the 2017 March for Life!

We also encourage you to think creatively about loving and truthful messages to share #WhyWeMarch.

(p.s. if you aren’t able to bring homemade signage, many groups provide free signs at the rally.)

The post March for Life Sign Inspiration! appeared first on March For Life.