President Trump signed a proclamation marking today National Sanctity of Human Life Day on the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion on demand nationwide.
Since that Jan. 22, 1973 decision, abortion has claimed the lives of more than 61 million preborn babies in the United States, according to National Right to Life Committee figures.
“Every person—the born and unborn, the poor, the downcast, the disabled, the infirm, and the elderly—has inherent value,” the proclamation, signed Monday, reads. “Although each journey is different, no life is without worth or is inconsequential; the rights of all people must be defended. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our Nation proudly and strongly reaffirms our commitment to protect the precious gift of life at every stage, from conception to natural death.”
Noting recent declines in abortion numbers, Trump added, “Still, there is more to be done, and, as President, I will continue to fight to protect the lives of the unborn.”
The proclamation touts the Trump administration’s:
—stipulations that federal Title X family planning funds be “clearly separated” from the physical premises and budgets of those recipients that perform abortion services;
—rule allowing states and organizations disbursing Title X funds to exclude organizations that provide abortions;
—protection of conscience rights for health care workers and organizations with respect to abortion;
—protection of employers that object to providing insurance coverage for abortion and contraception, including abortion-causing drugs.
The president said, “Additionally, I have called on Congress to act to prohibit abortions of later-term babies who can feel pain,” and “in building an international coalition to dispel the concept of abortion as a fundamental human right.” The latter initiative, representing 24 countries to date, opposes “any projects that attempt to assert a global right to taxpayer‑funded abortion on demand, up to the moment of delivery.”
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has seen more than 180 of his conservative judicial nominees confirmed to federal courts, renewed a ban on federal tax dollars for international abortions, and defunded the United Nations Population Fund, an abortion-friendly entity known to support China’s coercive abortion practices.
The proclamation precedes Friday’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., an annual event drawing thousands of pro-life supporters to the nation’s capital.
Franklin Graham said on Facebook: “I’m going to do something on Friday that I’ve never done before—I’m going to march. I’m going to D.C. to walk in the March for Life … with my daughter Cissie Graham Lynch. This is a huge, important issue. Why don’t you come join me? … Let’s let the courts, Congress, the media, and the world know what we believe and how important the lives of these children are. Every life matters to God and should matter to us.”
