Mike Pence, the first sitting vice president to speak at the March for Life, achieved another milestone on August 5 by becoming the first vice president to visit a pro-life pregnancy resource center. Pence joined the Susan B. Anthony List in Tampa, Florida to begin a multistate tour called “Life Wins.” The tour seeks to draw a sharp contrast between President Trump’s pro-life record and the pro-choice stance of his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.
In his remarks, Pence said that the Declaration of Independence put the right to life at the center of the American experiment. However, 47 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade fundamentally challenged the right to life. Pence said that if Biden is elected, he would “undo all the progress” the pro-life movement has made in the U.S. since the passage of Roe vs. Wade. “Now more than ever, pro-life Americans need to make our voice heard…You need to speak out and become involved,” Pence said. “The radical left wants to silence pro-life Americans.” Central to Pence’s remarks were his support for late-term abortion bans and freedom of religion. He proclaimed Trump to be the most pro-life president in the nation’s history, citing Trump’s March for Life address in January of this year. (President Trump was the first president to attend and speak at the March for Life.)
Prior to his remarks at Starkey Road Baptist Church in Largo, Florida, Pence toured a local pregnancy resource center called A Women’s Place Medical Clinic, which offers prenatal care, ultrasounds, and counseling. Pregnancy resource centers are valuable lifelines that offer abortion-free services for women facing crisis pregnancies.
Pence reassured conservatives that, “This President, this Vice President, and this administration will always stand up for the freedom of speech for every American, and we will always stand for life.” Pence reminded event attendees that, “Because of the work that you have done, we now have a pro-life champion in the White House. We have pro-life leaders in state houses across the country, a pro-life majority in the United States Senate, and we have principled jurists in record numbers in our courts across the land. Because of what you’ve done, life is winning in America.” Pence said that conservatives should be worried about Democrats electing liberal judges who could rule in favor of abortion rights.
Pence celebrated the pro-life movement’s accomplishments and growth in the United States, especially among young people: “The rising generation is more pro-life than ever before. Young Americans are embracing the sanctity of life in record numbers – more and more every day.” The vice president stated that the pro-life movement is defined “by generosity, compassion, and love for women and unborn children.” Pence attributed the rise of the pro-life movement to pro-life organizations and from “leaders in pulpits and in public office around the country.” Pence continued by stating that the “truth of abortion is being told and this new generation is choosing life.”
Vice President Mike Pence’s speech is additional evidence of the Trump administration’s pro-life record. He concluded his remarks by telling the audience, “With your continued support, with your dedication of the cause of life…We’ll continue to see pro-life men and women of principle elected and reelected from the White House to the statehouse.”
Sarah Rumpf is a Development intern at Family Research Council.
