‘I want more babies,’ JD Vance says at the March for Life
(USA TODAY) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday told anti-abortion activists at their annual March for Life rally in Washington that the country had failed its citizens.
“We failed a generation not only by permitting a culture of abortion on demand, but also by neglecting to help young parents achieve the ingredients they need to lead a happy and meaningful life,” he said.
He said a “culture of radical individualism” had led to people viewing the “responsibilities and joys” of raising a family as obstacles.
“Our society has failed to recognize the obligation that one generation has to another as a core part of living in a society,” he said. “So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America.”
Vance, a former senator from Ohio, has advocated boosting the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $5,000 per child to help with the cost of raising children.
Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, have three young children: Ewan, 7, Vivek, 4, and Mirabel, who is 2 years old, according to People magazine. She went viral during the inauguration for sporting bandages on her fingers.
Vance sworn in earlier this week
JD Vance was sworn in Monday as the 50th vice president of the United States, the culmination of a rapid political rise that propelled him from modest Ohio roots to a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Vance, who lives in Cincinnati and grew up in Middletown, took the oath of office alongside President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by his wife, children and mother. Administering the oath was Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who counted second lady Usha Vance among his employees when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Vance placed his hand on a Bible that belonged to his great-grandmother, which he got from his “Mamaw” when he left home for the Marines in 2003. He donned a navy blue Italian suit custom-made for the inauguration by his longtime tailor in suburban Cincinnati.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this possible,” Vance said during brief remarks at the Capitol after the swearing-in. “We love you. We wouldn’t be here without you, and we’re going to make America great again together for the next four years.”
Vance authored ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
After the inauguration, Trump credited Vance for being “upwardly mobile” and said the only person smarter than him is his wife, Usha.
“He took on some pretty mean people, and he handled it well,” Trump said.
Vance’s inauguration came just two years after he assumed the role of U.S. senator for Ohio. A once fierce Trump critic, the “Hillbilly Elegy” author walked back his past comments and made himself a key part of the president’s inner circle. As vice president, Vance is expected to champion Trump’s agenda and serve as an attack dog when needed.
