Vice President Mike Pence, who is a Catholic and longtime supporter of the anti-abortion movement, told supporters gathered in Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life that “life is winning again in America.”
He also reassured the crowd that President Trump will follow through on his promises regarding abortion, CNN reported.
“From his first day in office, he’s been keeping promises to the American people,” Pence said, according to Cosmopolitan. “That’s why, on Monday, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy to prevent foreign aid from funding foreign organizations that perform abortions worldwide.”
This is in reference to the global gag rule, which has been reinstated by every Republican president since Ronald Reagan (and was last removed by President Obama).
While President Trump did not attend the rally himself, he expressed support for the event on Twitter. “The #MarchForLife is so important. To all of you marching – you have my full support!” Trump tweeted.
The #MarchForLife is so important. To all of you marching — you have my full support!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2017
According to Cosmo, Pence also said the Trump administration will “work with Congress to end taxpayer funding of abortion.” This would be in reference to an anti-abortion law that was passed in the House earlier this week that would end the possibility of women ever being able to use government health insurance to pay for abortions. The bill would accomplish that by making the Hyde Amendment, which currently must be reconsidered every year, permanent. The Hyde Amendment forbids the use of taxpayer money to pay for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother, and it makes it incredibly difficult for low-income women to access safe abortions.
Ultimately, Pence’s speech was a victory for the anti-abortion movement. While it is unclear what the future will be, it is alarming that the current administration is moving to end abortion rights and make it harder for women to get the quality health and reproductive care that they need.