In his remarks, Vance mentioned the recent announcement by he and his wife, Usha Vance, that they are expecting their fourth child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome of you may recall that, in my remarks last year, I told you that one of my greatest aspirations for America was to have more families and more babies,\u201d Vance said. \u201cSo, for the record, you have a vice president who leads by example.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The elephant in the room\u201d, \u201cthere will be debates\u201d.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn his remarks to protesters during the march, Vance acknowledged \u201cthe elephant in the room,\u201d which he called \u201ca fear\u201d that \u201cnot enough progress has been made, that not enough has happened in the policy arena, that we're not moving fast enough, that our policy has not responded to the call for life that this indictment represents and that all of us, I think, carry in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want you to know that I hear you and understand that there will inevitably be debates within this movement,\u201d Vance continued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe love each other and we're going to have open conversations about how best to use our political system to promote life, about the prudence we should have in the cause of advancing human life. I think these debates are good, honest and natural, and frankly, they're not just good for all of you. They help people like me keep us honest, and that's important.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260123T1435-MFL26-RALLY-1811818-1024x683.jpg\")
Young pro-life advocates display placards during the 53rd annual March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPro-life leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe comments from Vance and Trump, who addressed the rally by video message, came as some pro-life leaders criticized Trump's recent comments to House Republicans telling them to be \u201cflexible\u201d on the Hyde Amendment, which bans public funding of elective abortions, or in negotiations over health care subsidies, to the disappointment of pro-life groups that have long supported that policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life leaders have also opposed the September decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to approve the generic version of the mifepristone<\/a> Evita Solutions, a pill commonly, but not exclusively, used for early abortion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMifepristone\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe drug's approval came despite earlier indications from FDA and HHS officials that mifepristone would undergo a safety review. On its website, Evita Solutions describes mifepristone as \u201can effective and safe way to terminate early pregnancy.\u201d It was also the second time the Trump administration approved a generic abortion pill, which occurred in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Vance told the crowd, \u201cYou have an ally in the White House.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's why he talks about the pro-life cause and that's why we do it in this administration, and that's why three years ago, we can't forget that his Supreme Court justices handed down the most important decision of my lifetime,\u201d Vance said in reference to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the court's previous precedent on abortion, including Roe v. Wade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/20260123T1317-MFL26-RALLY-1811791-2-1024x682.jpg\")
A woman watches during the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cCleaning up bad policies on the life issue.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nVance said, \u201cOur administration has worked very hard to lead that effort and pick up the pieces, to clean up the debris of five decades of bad policies on the life issue,\u201d citing actions including greater conscience protections for health care workers and \u201cpolicies that make family life possible,\u201d such as \u201cTrump accounts,\u201d government-backed savings accounts for children under the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Vance's speech, some attendees chanted, \u201cBan the abortion pill!\u201d Several national pro-life groups have called on the Trump-Vance administration to roll back the Biden administration's actions on mifepristone to the regulations in place during the previous Trump-Pence administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Vance has advocated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, Vance, a Catholic, declared his support for a federal ban on abortion starting at 15 weeks gestation, a measure that could affect nearly 6 % of U.S. abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in the days leading up to his election as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Vance moderated his stance on abortion, aligning himself with Trump's stated position that abortion policy should be left to the states. Vance also confirmed that Trump, as president, would oppose a federal ban on abortion if Congress passed such a law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPragmatic.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn an interview with NBC News in 2024, Vance called Trump's approach to abortion \u201cpragmatic\u201d and stated that he also supported the accessibility of mifepristone. While mifepristone can be used in early miscarriage care protocols, Vance did not qualify his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 9 out of 10 abortions take place during the first trimester, and more than six out of 10 abortions are performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his pre-recorded remarks from the White House, Trump said that with the Dobbs decision the pro-life movement \u201cwon the greatest victory in its history.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank each of you who are there on this winter day - a beautiful day, but it's winter nonetheless - to stand up for the unborn,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFollowing Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MarchaporlavidaMikeJohnson-20260123T1331-MFL26-VANCE-TRUMP-RALLY-1811800-1536x1024-1-1024x683.jpg\")
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during his remarks to the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.omnesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MarchaporlaVidaCartelBebe-20260121T1200-MARCH-FOR-LIFE-GIFT-YODER-1811625-1170x1296-1-924x1024.jpg\")
An attendee holds a pro-life sign during the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News\/Bob Roller).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHowever, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLeo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe comments from Vance and Trump, who addressed the rally by video message, came as some pro-life leaders criticized Trump's recent comments to House Republicans telling them to be \u201cflexible\u201d on the Hyde Amendment, which bans public funding of elective abortions, or in negotiations over health care subsidies, to the disappointment of pro-life groups that have long supported that policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life leaders have also opposed the September decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to approve the generic version of the mifepristone<\/a> Evita Solutions, a pill commonly, but not exclusively, used for early abortion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMifepristone\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe drug's approval came despite earlier indications from FDA and HHS officials that mifepristone would undergo a safety review. On its website, Evita Solutions describes mifepristone as \u201can effective and safe way to terminate early pregnancy.\u201d It was also the second time the Trump administration approved a generic abortion pill, which occurred in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Vance told the crowd, \u201cYou have an ally in the White House.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's why he talks about the pro-life cause and that's why we do it in this administration, and that's why three years ago, we can't forget that his Supreme Court justices handed down the most important decision of my lifetime,\u201d Vance said in reference to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the court's previous precedent on abortion, including Roe v. Wade.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA woman watches during the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cCleaning up bad policies on the life issue.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nVance said, \u201cOur administration has worked very hard to lead that effort and pick up the pieces, to clean up the debris of five decades of bad policies on the life issue,\u201d citing actions including greater conscience protections for health care workers and \u201cpolicies that make family life possible,\u201d such as \u201cTrump accounts,\u201d government-backed savings accounts for children under the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Vance's speech, some attendees chanted, \u201cBan the abortion pill!\u201d Several national pro-life groups have called on the Trump-Vance administration to roll back the Biden administration's actions on mifepristone to the regulations in place during the previous Trump-Pence administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Vance has advocated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, Vance, a Catholic, declared his support for a federal ban on abortion starting at 15 weeks gestation, a measure that could affect nearly 6 % of U.S. abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in the days leading up to his election as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Vance moderated his stance on abortion, aligning himself with Trump's stated position that abortion policy should be left to the states. Vance also confirmed that Trump, as president, would oppose a federal ban on abortion if Congress passed such a law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPragmatic.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn an interview with NBC News in 2024, Vance called Trump's approach to abortion \u201cpragmatic\u201d and stated that he also supported the accessibility of mifepristone. While mifepristone can be used in early miscarriage care protocols, Vance did not qualify his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 9 out of 10 abortions take place during the first trimester, and more than six out of 10 abortions are performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his pre-recorded remarks from the White House, Trump said that with the Dobbs decision the pro-life movement \u201cwon the greatest victory in its history.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank each of you who are there on this winter day - a beautiful day, but it's winter nonetheless - to stand up for the unborn,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFollowing Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during his remarks to the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAn attendee holds a pro-life sign during the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News\/Bob Roller).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHowever, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLeo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMifepristone\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe drug's approval came despite earlier indications from FDA and HHS officials that mifepristone would undergo a safety review. On its website, Evita Solutions describes mifepristone as \u201can effective and safe way to terminate early pregnancy.\u201d It was also the second time the Trump administration approved a generic abortion pill, which occurred in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Vance told the crowd, \u201cYou have an ally in the White House.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's why he talks about the pro-life cause and that's why we do it in this administration, and that's why three years ago, we can't forget that his Supreme Court justices handed down the most important decision of my lifetime,\u201d Vance said in reference to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the court's previous precedent on abortion, including Roe v. Wade.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA woman watches during the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cCleaning up bad policies on the life issue.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nVance said, \u201cOur administration has worked very hard to lead that effort and pick up the pieces, to clean up the debris of five decades of bad policies on the life issue,\u201d citing actions including greater conscience protections for health care workers and \u201cpolicies that make family life possible,\u201d such as \u201cTrump accounts,\u201d government-backed savings accounts for children under the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Vance's speech, some attendees chanted, \u201cBan the abortion pill!\u201d Several national pro-life groups have called on the Trump-Vance administration to roll back the Biden administration's actions on mifepristone to the regulations in place during the previous Trump-Pence administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Vance has advocated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, Vance, a Catholic, declared his support for a federal ban on abortion starting at 15 weeks gestation, a measure that could affect nearly 6 % of U.S. abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in the days leading up to his election as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Vance moderated his stance on abortion, aligning himself with Trump's stated position that abortion policy should be left to the states. Vance also confirmed that Trump, as president, would oppose a federal ban on abortion if Congress passed such a law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPragmatic.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn an interview with NBC News in 2024, Vance called Trump's approach to abortion \u201cpragmatic\u201d and stated that he also supported the accessibility of mifepristone. While mifepristone can be used in early miscarriage care protocols, Vance did not qualify his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 9 out of 10 abortions take place during the first trimester, and more than six out of 10 abortions are performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his pre-recorded remarks from the White House, Trump said that with the Dobbs decision the pro-life movement \u201cwon the greatest victory in its history.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank each of you who are there on this winter day - a beautiful day, but it's winter nonetheless - to stand up for the unborn,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFollowing Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during his remarks to the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAn attendee holds a pro-life sign during the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News\/Bob Roller).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHowever, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLeo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCleaning up bad policies on the life issue.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nVance said, \u201cOur administration has worked very hard to lead that effort and pick up the pieces, to clean up the debris of five decades of bad policies on the life issue,\u201d citing actions including greater conscience protections for health care workers and \u201cpolicies that make family life possible,\u201d such as \u201cTrump accounts,\u201d government-backed savings accounts for children under the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Vance's speech, some attendees chanted, \u201cBan the abortion pill!\u201d Several national pro-life groups have called on the Trump-Vance administration to roll back the Biden administration's actions on mifepristone to the regulations in place during the previous Trump-Pence administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Vance has advocated<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDuring his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, Vance, a Catholic, declared his support for a federal ban on abortion starting at 15 weeks gestation, a measure that could affect nearly 6 % of U.S. abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in the days leading up to his election as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Vance moderated his stance on abortion, aligning himself with Trump's stated position that abortion policy should be left to the states. Vance also confirmed that Trump, as president, would oppose a federal ban on abortion if Congress passed such a law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPragmatic.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn an interview with NBC News in 2024, Vance called Trump's approach to abortion \u201cpragmatic\u201d and stated that he also supported the accessibility of mifepristone. While mifepristone can be used in early miscarriage care protocols, Vance did not qualify his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 9 out of 10 abortions take place during the first trimester, and more than six out of 10 abortions are performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his pre-recorded remarks from the White House, Trump said that with the Dobbs decision the pro-life movement \u201cwon the greatest victory in its history.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank each of you who are there on this winter day - a beautiful day, but it's winter nonetheless - to stand up for the unborn,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFollowing Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during his remarks to the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAn attendee holds a pro-life sign during the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News\/Bob Roller).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHowever, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLeo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his bid for the U.S. Senate in 2022, Vance, a Catholic, declared his support for a federal ban on abortion starting at 15 weeks gestation, a measure that could affect nearly 6 % of U.S. abortions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in the days leading up to his election as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Vance moderated his stance on abortion, aligning himself with Trump's stated position that abortion policy should be left to the states. Vance also confirmed that Trump, as president, would oppose a federal ban on abortion if Congress passed such a law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPragmatic.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn an interview with NBC News in 2024, Vance called Trump's approach to abortion \u201cpragmatic\u201d and stated that he also supported the accessibility of mifepristone. While mifepristone can be used in early miscarriage care protocols, Vance did not qualify his statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nearly 9 out of 10 abortions take place during the first trimester, and more than six out of 10 abortions are performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in his pre-recorded remarks from the White House, Trump said that with the Dobbs decision the pro-life movement \u201cwon the greatest victory in its history.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to thank each of you who are there on this winter day - a beautiful day, but it's winter nonetheless - to stand up for the unborn,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro-life victories<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFollowing Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson during his remarks to the 53rd March for Life in Washington January 23, 2026. (Photo by OSV News\/Aaron Schwartz, Reuters).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAn attendee holds a pro-life sign during the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Jan. 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News\/Bob Roller).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHowever, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nLeo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIndeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following Trump's video, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the rally, \u201cThank you to our president for all the pro-life victories he has achieved in his first five years in office. We look forward to many more in the years to come.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said it was a historic moment for the pro-life movement \u201cto have the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives working together to achieve significant and historic pro-life victories.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe measure our success by the number of lives we save and the lives we improve and uplift, by common sense, by life and by policy confirmation,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, multiple studies show that since the Dobbs decision, the U.S. abortion rate has increased rather than decreased, despite bans in some states. According to Guttmacher, a research firm that monitors abortion industry figures, abortions reached 1.04 million in 2024, up from 874,000 in 2016, the last year of steady decline before the numbers rose again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The March for Life, which calls itself the world's largest annual human rights demonstration, is being held around the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. This year marks the fourth march since the high court overturned Roe and abortion-related precedent in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leo XVI sent a Message to the participants of the March for Life 2026. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to them and assured them of \u201chis spiritual closeness for this eloquent public witness\u201d, which affirms that \u201cthe protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights\u201d (Speech<\/a> to the members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, January 9, 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, \u201ca society is healthy and truly progressive only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and actively works to promote it\u201d (ibid.). In this regard, I encourage you, especially young people, to continue to strive to ensure respect for life at all its stages through appropriate efforts at all levels of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her at @kgscanlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore abortions, despite everything\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pope Leo: protection of the right to life, the foundation of the right to life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n