‘Complex’ Political Moment has Challenges, Opportunities, March for Life President Says

(OSV News) — A “complex” political environment presents both challenge and opportunity for the pro-life movement, Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said at the 27th annual Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life on Jan. 24.

“We shouldn’t kid ourselves that everything is rosy and we shouldn’t be too quick to pat ourselves on the back,” she said in a keynote address at the conference. “Abortion rates have actually been rising with the rise of the chemical abortion pill and how easily it’s accessed; our culture is still deeply unfriendly to life.”

The conference, organized by students at Georgetown University, gathered under the theme “The Pro-Life Mission After-Birth: A Lifelong Devotion.” The Cardinal O’Connor Conference is typically held the day before or after the annual March for Life, according to the university. It was first held in 2000 and later named in honor of the late Cardinal John J. O’Connor, who was archbishop of New York, a Georgetown University alumnus, and founder of the Sisters for Life. Cardinal O’Connor was known for his pro-life activism on abortion, but also for his opposition to the death penalty and his support for social safety net programs.

Messaging and the Pro-Life Position
In her address, which came the day after her first national March for Life at the helm of the organization, Lichter told the conference that the pro-life movement needs to win converts to its cause.

“We can never compromise our position, which is rooted in the truth about human life,” she said. “But how do we adjust our framing and our messaging so that our fellow Americans can hear and understand it, can receive it?”

The conference this year, and the March for Life itself, took place amid growing frustration from some in the pro-life movement about what they see as inaction from the Trump administration on key policy priorities like stronger restrictions on mifepristone, a pill commonly but not exclusively used for early abortion, and protecting the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits public funding of elective abortions.

Vice President JD Vance addressed the 53rd annual March for Life in Washington Jan. 23. Acknowledging in his comments what he called “the elephant in the room,” Vance spoke about concerns from some in the pro-life movement about their remaining policy priorities just over a year into Trump’s second term in the White House.

“I want you to know that I hear you, and that I understand there will inevitably be debates within this movement,” Vance said in his address. “We love each other, and we’re going to have open conversations about how best we use our political system to advance life, how prudential we must be in the cause of advancing human life. I think these are good, honest and natural debates, and frankly, they’re not just good for all of you. They help keep people like me honest, and that’s an important thing.”

Pro-life leaders call on Trump admin for action
The comments from Vance, and from President Donald Trump, who addressed the rally by pre-recorded video message, came shortly after pro-life leaders criticized Trump’s comments to House Republicans Jan. 6 telling them to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment in negotiations on health care subsidies, to the disappointment of pro-life groups that have long supported that policy.

Pro-life leaders have also objected to a September decision by the Food and Drug Administration, which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, to approve Evita Solutions’ generic version of mifepristone. The drug’s approval came despite previous indications from FDA and HHS officials that mifepristone would undergo a safety review. On its website, Evita Solutions calls mifepristone “an effective, safe way to terminate early pregnancy.” It was also the second time a Trump administration approved a generic pill for abortion, which it did in 2019.

Some pro-life groups have called on the Trump-Vance administration to roll back the Biden administration’s actions on mifepristone to what was in place during the Trump-Pence administration.

Lichter: “Politically complex dynamic” in US
Lichter told the conference, “right now, this moment, our particular American moment, is full of opportunity, and it’s full of challenges for those of us who care about the rights of the unborn and about making sure that moms have the support they need to choose life.”

Although there is a “very politically complex dynamic” surrounding “the current president and the 2024 election,” Lichter argued, she said that “one really important takeaway for our purposes is that (former Vice President) Kamala Harris, of course, built her campaign around abortion rights.”

“She and her campaign managers and the Democrats made a big bet that the American people’s desire for unfettered abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy was going to propel her into office in the wake of the Dobbs decision, and they were wrong,” she said. “That is not what the American people wanted.”

However, she argued, “the cultural and political landscape for the pro-life movement is challenging, no doubt about it, but these challenges are not a sign to retreat.”

“They are an invitation to sharpen our message and be keen students of our times, to know what the arguments against us are, and to speak with moral clarity, courage and compassion, with unflagging hope and with joy,” she said.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion. After the Dobbs decision, Church officials in the U.S. have reiterated the Church’s concern for both mother and child, and they have called to strengthen available support for those living in poverty or other causes that can increase the risk of abortion.

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(Originally published by OSV News)

(Washington Stand) — On a chilly but beautiful January day in Washington, D.C., thousands gathered on the National Mall for the 53rd National March for Life. Participants came from across the United States and beyond — families from coast to coast, international groups from Korea and Ireland, students, children, grandparents, clergy, and activists — united under the event’s simple theme: “Life is a Gift.” Winter’s crisp air contrasted with the crowd’s warmth, hope, and resolve.

The event began with an hour of worship music, followed by powerful speeches linking faith, the sanctity of life from conception, and America’s founding principles to defending the vulnerable. Signs proclaimed, “Choose Love, Choose Life,” “Christ is Lord,” and support for figures like the late Charlie Kirk, who frequently advocated for faith and family. A particularly moving highlight was the Friends of Club 21 Choir — young adults with Down syndrome and supporters — singing the National Anthem with passion, further embodying the message that every life holds inherent value, dignity, and beauty.

A video message from President Donald Trump highlighted the administration’s efforts to advance pro-life policies, while Vice President J.D. Vance addressed the crowd in person, affirming the movement’s “ally in the White House” and urging continued progress in the post-Dobbs era. The stage also welcomed numerous members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), alongside Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), and others who spoke or showed support.

Amid the sea of people, stories emerged of determination and joy: parents who organized a bus for eager Wisconsin students attending their first March, families marching together across generations, and attendees from diverse walks of life who traveled far to stand in solidarity. The Washington Stand was able to speak with some participants, each of whom shared experiences that captured the heart of the gathering.

Gwyn Andrews, Senate Aide for Senator Randy Robertson (R-Ga.), shared her personal turning point. “I grew up as a pastor’s daughter,” she told TWS. “I would have always told you I was pro-life, but I really didn’t care.” At 19, facing an unexpected pregnancy, she scheduled a chemical abortion at Planned Parenthood. Three days before, a girl explained the beauty of life from conception and that she would always be a mother. Ultimately, Gwyn chose life; her daughter was adopted by a Christian couple. “The best way to make change,” she said, “is to have one conversation at a time.” Abortion begins as a cultural issue, she added, so “we have to change culture.”

Noelle, who also spoke with TWS, echoed this. She emphasized the importance of starting these conversations in the home. “The idea that a mother can destroy her own child is heartbreaking,” she said, “and we need to start with education and in the home — teaching children and families that life begins at conception, that life is sacred and valuable and beautiful, and that God can turn even terrible situations for good.”

“I love attending the march,” Noelle added. “I’ve been a supporter for a long time, and I’ve been lucky to be able to come back multiple times. And I know that if we keep putting God at the center of our lives,” immense progress can be made. “My message for you at home is to get involved. … Every year, every day is an opportunity” to do something.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, in comments to TWS, rooted his commitment in America’s founding document. “If you look at the birth certificate of our nation, the Declaration of Independence … all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. And the first that is mentioned is life.” He stressed government’s duty to secure and defend life, noting how the Dobbs decision was a major reversal of federal overreach. “Finally, government is here under the Trump administration defending life. And that’s what we’re supposed to be doing.”

Clyde highlighted ongoing challenges, particularly the shipment of mifepristone abortion pills across state lines. “One of the bigger challenges is the fact that mifepristone is being shipped across our country through the post office, and it’s illegal to do that in the state of Georgia,” he said. He referenced his D.C. Shield Law Repeal Act, introduced in December with growing co-sponsors, aimed at dismantling D.C.’s protections for such shipments. “If we can do that, then we can put these people who are sending poison into our states… in jail.”

Rep. Michael Cloud similarly affirmed government’s primary role in protecting God-given rights, starting with life. “Our job in government is to protect … those inalienable rights that we understand are a gift from God. They’re not a grant from government,” he shared. “You can’t have liberty without life. You can’t pursue happiness without life.” He celebrated post-Roe progress but warned of persistent threats like abortion pills, which harm both babies and mothers. Cloud called for restoring a culture where “babies are a blessing” and healthy families remain society’s foundation.

Drawing from Scripture, he urged perseverance: “Don’t get weary in well-doing … Evil is never going to rest. And so, our job is to be the watchmen on the wall, so to speak, and to stand for life.” He praised the crowd’s diversity and resolve: “A lot of people out here not fainting, still staying in the fight. And that’s great … from all generations, all backgrounds, all races.”

Pro-life advocate Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation, brought a powerful personal testimony rooted in his own life story. “I’m here with my sons, and I want them to understand that it’s okay to be pro-life,” he told TWS. “We live in a culture that tries to … shame guys into silence about the evil injustice of abortion.” Bomberger, conceived in rape yet adopted and loved into a large family of 15 siblings (10 adopted), fights for the marginalized because “that was once me.” As a father of four — including two adopted children — and husband to a wife who chose life as a single mom (a daughter, named Radiance, whom he adopted), he sees countless reasons to press on.

“It is a fight for everybody,” he urged. He encouraged practical involvement: “Join your local pregnancy center … Volunteer for them. Support them … Get your church into the fight.” Bomberger expressed optimism for 2026 and beyond: “I’m full of hope. Why? Because Jesus is our hope … Without Jesus as that center, as our foundation, it’s going to be really hard to have the victories.” Even one life saved is a massive win, he added, but the goal is society-wide change through faith-centered action.

In the end, the March for Life revealed something profound: as Congressman Cloud had noted, this movement draws remarkable diversity. Young and old, people from every region and many nations, spanning various religious traditions and even political affiliations, are coming together not out of uniformity but out of a shared conviction. This love for life — its gift, its sanctity, its potential — binds those who fight for it.

And across every conversation, one truth echoed clearly: while much has been achieved, especially since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the work is far from finished. The call remains urgent, joyful, and enduring.

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(Originally published by the Washington Stand)

(OSV News) — As thousands gathered in the cold, to stand for the unborn, March for Life president Jennie Bradley Lichter reminded the crowd that what has “saved so many lives and moved countless hearts” on the abortion issue over the years is the marchers’ “unfailing hope” their “love for the littlest ones and for moms who need a hand,” their joy and “the sheer number of you who are here year after year.”

The theme of the 53rd annual March for Life was “Life Is a Gift” and both the crowd and the speakers at the rally embraced their personal experience of the gift of life.

‘Friends of Club 21’ choir

At the start of the event, Lichter introduced the “Friends of Club 21” choir, a group of teens and young adults with Down syndrome who sang the national anthem. She said the group embodied the theme of the march.

For Ariel Hartshorn, who traveled 17 hours to the march on a bus from Benedictine College in Kansas, her brother with Down syndrome was a big part of her reason for attending.

“I know that a lot of people with Down syndrome are aborted and that just breaks my heart,” she told OSV News, calling her brother “the most joyful” person who “brings so much joy to everybody’s life.” She said “it’s really important that we march for life and that we be that change” in society for people like her brother.

Vances expecting 4th child

Vice President JD Vance, who recently announced that he and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child, also felt the march’s theme in a personal way, telling the crowd, “Life is a gift and I know for me personally this year, there is so much to be thankful for. I’m grateful to my own family, for my beautiful wife, Usha, and that God has given us the miracle of new life again.”

One speaker at the march, Sarah Hurm, told those gathered that she was “living proof” that life is a gift through her journey of nearly aborting her son with the abortion pill regimen and being able to reverse that procedure through the help of a pro-life ministry.

She spoke about being a 26-year-old single mom who already had three children and was not receiving support from her baby’s father or the abortion clinic where she felt like a “transaction,” not a person.

Words of an Abortion Clinic Worker

The words of an abortion clinic worker stuck with her. The worker told her the baby had a “strong heartbeat” and she was “lucky the heartbeat bill hadn’t passed because if it had we wouldn’t be able to continue.”

“As soon as I walked out of the facility,” Hurm said, “it was as if the world went from dark gray to bright blue. The clinic had felt lifeless, outside I felt life again. That sharp contrast between darkness and light made me feel something I will never forget. I instantly began to regret my decision and I broke down in my car.”

Despite having taken the first pill in the regimen, Hurm was able to save her son through a hotline number that offered abortion pill reversal treatment. “Today,” she said, “my son is one of the greatest joys of my life.”

‘Small sacrifices’ can become victories

She encouraged the crowd to make efforts to help women facing unexpected pregnancies. “Saving a life can be as simple as answering a phone call, driving a friend to an ultrasound, or helping her pick out a car seat,” she emphasized. “Small sacrifices can become enormous victories that support moms like me and children like mine. You have that power. Be that person who connects a woman to hope.”

Benedictine College student Maria Draves felt the importance of supporting women facing unplanned pregnancies, saying she traveled to the march “for the innocent children who don’t have a voice for themselves” but that it was also important to “remember the mothers because a lot of these mothers are in really difficult situations, and so we have to keep them in our prayers as well and do everything we can to take care of them.”

‘Every person matters’

Lily Doyle, a student at Franciscan University, saw defending the dignity of the unborn as connected to the dignity of all vulnerable people. “It’s important now more than ever to be sure that everyone, no matter who they are, what they feel, young, old, pre-born, know that their life is worth living,” she emphasized, “every person matters no matter what.”

Lichter noted the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and its emphasis on the right to life, telling the crowd “never forget that the United States of America was built on the foundation of the right to life” and “you are standing in a great American tradition when you stand up for the right to life like you’re doing today.”

Bringing her husband and three children out on stage, Lichter celebrated past generations of marchers and noted that her kids “have grown up as marchers and they are thrilled to see you all here today.”

Couple with their young baby

Amanda and Drew Ide from Minnesota were also a part of bringing the next generation of marchers as they went along the route with their young baby, Zoey, following the rally. Drew said he felt “like there’s a turn in our culture to be able to see people seeing the value in protecting even the youngest people of our society.”

“We are just out here representing the value of life and hoping that it can impact legislation,” Amanda said, adding that as evangelical Christians they wanted to be “walking the walk, not just talking the talk.”

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(Originally published by the OSV News)

(EWTN News) —

Thousands of pro-lifers attended the 53rd annual March for Life on Friday in Washington, D.C. The 2026 event’s theme was “Life Is a Gift,” to invite “all people to rediscover the beauty, goodness, and joy of life itself,” the March For Life reported.

As attendees marched on the National Mall, they held signs, prayed, and sang their way toward the U.S. Capitol.

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(Originally published by the EWTN News)

(Daily Caller) — Vice President JD Vance responded to the “elephant in the room” at the March for Life on Friday, concerns that not enough political progress is being made on the pro-life issue.

While the Trump administration has implemented policies that restrict taxpayer funding for abortion and pardoned pro-life activists targeted by the Biden administration, pro-life activists are still waiting on some of their biggest asks, like reinstating restrictions on the abortion pill.

“I want you to know that I hear you, and that I understand there will inevitably be debates within this movement,” Vance said. “We love each other, and we’re going to have open conversations about how best to use our political system to advance life, how prudential we must be in the cause of advancing human life. I think these are good, honest and natural debates. And frankly, they’re not just good for all of you. They help keep people like me honest, and that’s an important thing.”

Vance urged pro-lifers to remember the progress that has already been made in the last decade, namely the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

“I look at this crowd and I see young people for whom Dobbs is the only world they’ve ever known,” Vance said.

“I remember friends of mine who spent their entire lives fighting for the unborn without ever seeing the victories that have accumulated in recent years,” he continued. “My friends, I’d ask you to look where the fight for life stood just one decade ago, and now look where it stands today.”

The administration announced several new pro-life policies Thursday ahead of the March for Life, including an expansion of the Mexico City policy that restricts foreign aid funds from promoting abortion, an investigation into whether Planned Parenthood illegally received over $88 million in COVID-19 loans from the Small Business Administration and an end to funding for fetal tissue research.

Vance highlighted these policies, as well as pro-family policies the administration has advanced, such as increasing the Child Tax Credit.

In a video message, President Donald Trump emphasized how he appointed judges in his first term who overturned Roe v. Wade and the actions his administration has taken to protect religious liberty.

“Now the work to rebuild a culture that supports life continues in every state, every community and every part of our beautiful land. This is a battle that must be fought, must be won, not only in the corridors of power, but above all in the hearts and souls of the people,” Trump said in the message. “That is why under the Trump administration we are strongly defending religious liberty.”

The American Civil Liberties Union dropped a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on Jan. 13 after the Health and Human Services released millions of dollars in Title X family planning funds to Planned Parenthood. The funds had previously been withheld over “possible violations” of civil rights laws and the administration’s executive orders.

A former Trump administration official told the Daily Signal it restored the funds because the judge “almost certainly going to rule” against them. Several Planned Parenthood affiliates refused $2.3 million in unfrozen grants, which had been withheld over Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-related investigations, the Daily Caller reported Thursday.

Vance reminded the crowd of his speech at last year’s March for Life, where he said he wants to see more babies in America.

“Let the record show you have a vice president who practices what he preaches,” he said, referencing his wife’s announcement that she is pregnant with their fourth child.

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(Originally published by the Daily Caller)