Let me say thank you. Good afternoon, marchers. Thank you for having me. And it is an honor to be standing with you here today for life.
We are proud to march with you. And, yes, we will be back next year.
The excitement, the passion, the unwavering conviction that every single person here on the National Mall clearly feels, it is deeply moving to me and means more to President Trump and I than I could possibly say.
For over a half century, this march has united tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life to rally for the cause of life in our nation. It is the single largest gathering in the world to celebrate our movement, the victories we’ve fought so hard for, and yes, the victories yet to come. And I want to personally welcome all of you who have traveled from far and wide to our nation’s capital, thank you for your dedication, and it is an incredible crowd, and it’s great to see you today.
You know, on Monday, we were forced to move all of the inauguration events indoors because of the bitter cold, and it was cold. But you guys, and it’s cold today, here you are, outside, in an especially frigid January. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a joyful crowd out here, particularly during this time of year.
Now, as you all know, the event theme this year is “Life: Why we march?” And there are obvious answers to the implicit question it poses.
We march to protect the unborn.
We march to proclaim and live out the sacred truth that every single child is a miracle and a gift from God.
Now, each time Usha and I welcomed our own children into the world, we saw firsthand the indescribable beauty of new life, and yes, as you can see, sometimes the behavioral challenges that we had on Monday, but they were good. They were good.
And watching all three of our children, that awe at a newborn child, it is our responsibility to cherish and to protect it. But thinking about the question of why we march, there are also some subtler, but equally more important…
Now, Trump’s new executive order also states, quote, my administration will defend women’s rights and my mission is to protect innocent life, it’s to defend the unborn, and it’s also to be pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that word possible.
Now, across my own lifetime, I can’t tell you the number of friends and other acquaintances I’ve had who, facing a pregnancy or the prospect of one, react not with joy but with concern. They wonder: how can they afford it? What will it mean for their education, their career, their relationship, or their family?
And I know how many of you in this crowd have devoted immeasurable time and resources to help answer those questions and to lend a hand to young people facing a moment of desperation.
But by and large, our society, our country, has not yet stepped up in the way you have. And our government certainly has failed in that important responsibility.
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.
A culture of radical individualism took root, one where the responsibilities and joys of family life were seen as obstacles to overcome, not as personal fulfillment or personal blessings. Our society has failed to recognize the obligation that one generation has to another is a core part of living in a society to begin with.
So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America, I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them.
It is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world, and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are here at the March for Life.
Now it should be easier, easier to raise a family, easier to find a good job, easier to build a home to raise that family in, easier to save up and purchase a good stroller, a crib for a nursery.
We need a culture that celebrates life at all stages, one that recognizes and truly believes that the benchmark of national success is not our GDP number or our stock market, but whether people feel that they can raise thriving and healthy families in our country.
And that brings me back to where we stand today.
Earlier this week, President Donald J. Trump stood in the Capitol Rotunda and took the oath of office, becoming not just the 45th, but now the 47th President of the United States, and I know all of you helped. With the inauguration on Monday, our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American president of our lifetimes.
Now, this is the man who delivered on his promise of ending Roe, giving us a monumental earth-shattering decision in Dobbs. The man who appointed hundreds of pro-life judges dedicated to defending the constitutional liberties of all Americans. And the man who supported pro-family policies like doubling the child tax credit, which happened during his first administration, and which we’re going to do so much more on in the second administration. Now he’s back, and we’re going to do it again.
Now, yesterday, President Trump issued a strong endorsement of the Born Alive Abortion Act ensuring that those babies who survived botched abortions enjoy the equal protection under law which is the obligation of every citizen to enjoy in this country.
With his return to office, no longer will the federal government direct FBI raids on the homes of people like Mark Houck and other Catholic and Christian activists who are fighting for the unborn every single day. And no longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly, grandparents or anybody else in prison. It stopped on Monday and we’re not going to let it come back to this country.
Instead, and I know you all saw the news, the 47th president has already issued pardons to those unjustly imprisoned.
And I want to be clear that this administration stands by you, we stand with you, and most importantly we stand with the most vulnerable and the basic principle that people exercising the right to protest on behalf of the most vulnerable should never have the government go after them ever again.
Now the crowd assembled here in this incredible national mall provides an extraordinary example for our nation. You donate to diaper banks, you help find housing for those in need, you help fund the crisis pregnancy centers that give help to young women and young men in a time of crisis.
You guys are the beating heart of the pro-life movement and you have saved many lives already and you’re going to save more again.
You being here this very March is a reminder of the incredible strength and unity of the pro-life movement and from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Thank you for being here and thank you for marching here today. And most importantly, in your works, you remind us that the March for Life is not just a single event that happens on a frigid January day, the March for Life is the work of the pro-life movement every single day from this point forward.
Now it is a lifelong call to action, a moment in time, but every single day that you guys do what you do, from supporting young moms and dads, to fighting for the unborn, to working with our legislatures at the state and federal level, you make it possible for us to stand here and say that America is fundamentally a pro-baby, a pro-life, and a pro-family country.
Now, I hesitate to give you all advice, because I can see there are young and old, people who have been in the pro-life movement, some of you for longer than I’ve even been alive, and I’m grateful to you. But if I could offer one piece of advice, it’s a piece of advice born out of my own experience.
There was a point when I would get frustrated with people who didn’t see what we saw. I would get frustrated that people could look at a picture of a baby on an ultrasound and see not a human being, but just a clump of cells. But one of the things that being a father has taught me, and one of the things that being in politics has taught me over the last couple of years, is that it is a blessing to know the truth, and the truth is that unborn life is worthy of protection.
So please, go forth, not with frustration, but with joy.
We are joyful to march for life. We are joyful to know that that picture on an ultrasound, that is a picture of a baby with hopes and dreams and potential to come. It is a joy and a blessing to fight for the unborn, to work for the unborn, and to march for life.
God bless you all and thank you for having me. It’s an honor to be with you.
*Vice President JD Vance is known for his pro-life stances. The early part of his life was challenging, marked by financial hardship and family instability. His mother’s struggle with addiction and his father’s absence left a void that his grandparents filled with unwavering support and guidance. During law school he met his wife Usha, with whom he has three children.
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