St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church

Pro-lifers hold their signs up at the March for Life Rally on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/EWTN News

Jan 23, 2026 / 18:54 pm (CNA).

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.

Here are some of the best signs that EWTN News spotted at the march.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks at the March for Life rally on Jan. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: EWTN News/Screenshot

Jan 23, 2026 / 15:29 pm (CNA).

Vice President JD Vance and Republican lawmakers defended President Donald Trump’s abortion-related policies at the 2026 March for Life on Jan. 23.

“You have an ally in the White House,” Vance said in his speech.

Vance was the first political speaker at the march, and he was followed by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, the longtime leader of the House pro-life caucus.

Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune addressed the marchers in prerecorded video messages.

In his speech, Vance said: “One of the things I most wanted in the United States of America is more families and more babies,” and touted the recent announcement that he and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child.

“So let the record show that you have a vice president who practices what he preaches,” Vance said.

The vice president said Trump’s Supreme Court appointments were vital to overturning Roe v. Wade, which he called “the most important Supreme Court decision of my lifetime.”

He said the decision “put a definitive end to the tyranny of judicial rule on the question of human life” and allowed the people to settle these disputes democratically.

Vance spoke about some of the pro-life victories during the first year of Trump’s second term.

This included legislation that blocked Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements as well as reinstating and expanding the Mexico City Policy, which bans federal tax money from being used to support organizations that promote abortion abroad.

The vice president also spoke about the restoration of conscience protections for health care workers, the expansion of the child tax credit, and the pardoning of pro-life activists who were convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

“Building a culture of life requires persuasion,” Vance said.

“That effort is going to take a lot of time, it’s going to take a lot of energy, and it’s going to take a little bit of money,” he said.

The vice president briefly addressed some criticism the administration has received from members of the pro-life movement who have been unhappy with certain developments.

Some pro-life advocates have expressed concern about the lack of action on the abortion pill mifepristone, which is under review by the Food and Drug Administration.

Others have raised objections to Trump urging lawmakers to be “flexible” on taxpayer-funded abortions in negotiations about extending Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Vance asked people to look at the successes.

“Look where the fight for life stood just one decade ago and look where it stands today,” he said.

In his video message, Trump celebrated many of the same pro-life policies as Vance and thanked marchers for their efforts to “stand up for the unborn.”

“We will continue to fight for the eternal truth that every child is a gift from God,” Trump said.

Johnson said a shift in policy from the Trump administration is that success is not just measured by the economy but also “the strength of the American family.”

He also spoke about the actions taken to ban Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements, saying: “We finally defunded big abortion and it was a long time coming.”

“Every single child deserves the opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential,” Johnson said.

Smith referenced the recent Marist Poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, which showed most Americans supporting at least some restrictions on abortion and approving of the work of pregnancy resource centers.

He also spoke strongly against the chemical abortion pill mifepristone, which he called “baby poison that kills the unborn child by starving the baby boy or baby girl to death” and said it poses health risks to women.

“We must today recommit to protecting the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith said.

In a video message, Thune called abortion an “evil that’s too often brushed to the side.”

He said Republicans “will continue to do everything we can in Congress to support moms and protect preborn children.”

After the speeches from lawmakers, March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter urged participants to contact their senators amid ongoing negotiations related to health care.

Lichter encouraged them to ask their senators to oppose any health care legislation that excludes the Hyde Amendment, which bans taxpayer funding for abortion.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston, offers the homily at the closing Mass for the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: EWTN

Jan 23, 2026 / 10:34 am (CNA).

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley said life is a “precious gift from a loving God” ahead of the 2026 annual March for Life.

O’Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston, celebrated Mass on Jan. 23 before the March for Life, concluding the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

“I know that many of you are tired and have made many sacrifices to be here,” O’Malley said. “I assure you, you could not be doing anything more important than being here today. And your presence is not by accident. The Lord in his providence has brought all of us here today.”

The Mass featured prayers for the pro-life movement and provided a moment to strengthen commitment to defending human life ahead of the march.

“Abortion is the greatest moral crisis faced by our country and by our world. It’s a matter of life and death in a very grand scale," O’Malley said. “It’s been a joy and a privilege for me to be at every March for Life here in Washington for the past 53 years.”

“It’s such a joy to be with you here today in this March for Life. This is a pilgrimage for life, and it begins with prayer, here in Mary’s shrine. I thank God for all of you,” he said.

‘Life Is a gift’

O’Malley spoke about the 2026 March for Life theme: “Life Is a Gift.”

“What a powerful theme,” O’Malley said. “Sadly, life is not always seen as a gift. For some, it seems a burden or a curse.”

The cardinal detailed a recent poll that found “for the very first time in the history of our nation, the majority of Americans say they do not want to have children.” O’Malley called it “an alarming statistic.”

“Life is a gift, a gift given by a loving God,” he said. “Life is beautiful, especially when it is received with gratitude and love.”

We must “love as God loves,” O’Malley said. “We must love first, forgive first, give first. That’s why we’re here in this Mass for life.”

“We’re here because life is a gift. God has given us this precious gift. We must be grateful and express our gratitude by proclaiming the gospel of life,” he said.

Future of the pro-life movement

O’Malley, who has been active in the pro-life movement for decades, said the opposition once believed the pro-life advocates would “die off,” but “we’re still here, proclaiming the gospel of life.”

“Our mission is not a political crusade. It’s a response to God’s command to love and to care for each other. And God bless us, the crowd is getting younger and younger. You are beautiful,” he said.

To end abortion, “our task is not to judge others but to bring healing,” O’Malley said. We must be “gentle” like Jesus was with “the Samaritan woman, the poor, the tax collector, the adulterous woman, the good thief,” he said.

“Our task is to build a society that takes care of everybody, where every person counts, where every life is important. Political polarization, racism, economic injustice will only continue to fuel abortion in a post-Roe v. Wade world,” O’Malley said.

“Our world is wracked by divisions and violence. Pope Leo is inviting us to be messengers of unity and of peace. But we do not want to get in the way of the message,” O’Malley said.

“Together, we can protect and nurture that gift of life. We must look for opportunities to be apostles of life, building a civilization of love and ethic of care,” he said.

“The antidote to abortion is love. Love manifests in community, compassion, and solidarity. Life is a gift. Every person is a gift. Every person counts. All are important. Our mission is to work so that no child be left behind. Every baby will be welcomed, loved, cared for, nurtured, and protected,” he said.

“Thank God for the gift of life. Thank God for love. Thank God for you,” O’Malley concluded.

EWTN News’ coverage of the 2026 March for Life can be found here.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Sisters of Life and All the Living Band perform at Life Fest on Jan. 23, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. | Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/EWTN News English

Jan 23, 2026 / 09:34 am (CNA).

Young Catholics who traveled from across the country for the March for Life started their day singing and praying with the Sisters of Life early Friday morning.

Life Fest 2026 participants gathered at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, to get energized, sing songs, and receive the sacraments before heading to the National Mall for the March for Life 2026.

The event, organized by the Sisters of Life and Knights of Columbus, began at 6 a.m. with music, pro-life testimonies, and chances to go to confession and venerate the relics of numerous saints. Several nuns played music as a part of the All the Living Band alongside Father Isaiah Marie Hofmann, CFR, while participants in the crowd sang along and clapped.

The crowd included everyone from young children to elderly people, Sisters of Life, Dominican brothers and priests, and the Knights of Columbus, who sponsored the event.

Students from Lansing Catholic High School in Lansing, Michigan, waited in a line to venerate relics of St. Carlos Acutis and St. John Paul II.

The event featured pro-life testimony from women and families who experienced crisis pregnancies and chose life, including the Schachle family, whose son Michael McGivny Schachle, who helped make his namesake a “blessed” through the miracle of his birth.

Schachle’s parents, Michelle and Daniel, gave their testimony while he stood alongside them on stage.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Bishop James D. Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrates Mass at the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. | Credit: EWTN

Jan 22, 2026 / 22:17 pm (CNA).

Thousands of young Catholics gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Jan. 22, to worship at a vigil Mass on the eve of the March for Life.

“Our goal is not only to make abortion illegal,” Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, Bishop James D. Conley said during the homily. “Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.”

More than 5,000 people — many of them high school or college students — filled the upper church of the basilica to attend the Mass. Following Mass, many worshippers prayed at the National Holy Hour for Life, which was held in the crypt of the basilica during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which included praying the luminous mysteries of the rosary.

The Jan. 22 service marked the 47th straight National Prayer Vigil for Life held at the basilica, which it began hosting in 1979 — six years after the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. The Thursday night event marked the fourth post-Roe vigil.

The first reading came from Isaiah 49, in which the prophet wrote: “Before birth the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

In his homily, Conley referred back to that reading a few times and expressed joy at the number of young people who attended the vigil with the goal to “build a culture of life and a civilization of love, where babies are protected in their mothers’ wombs and women are loved, heard, and cared for when they find themselves faced with very difficult and life-changing decisions.”

The bishop noted that there are many threats to the dignity of the human person prevalent in society, including euthanasia, gun violence, the death penalty, the suffering of the poor and of migrants, racism, and a lack of access to health care and education.

“But our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and the most voiceless,” he said, noting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has labeled the issue its preeminent priority in terms of political concerns.

Even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Conley noted there are still over 1 million abortions annually. Yet, he expressed hope that the young people in front of him “are the pro-life generation” and will help bring an end to abortion in the United States.

“I firmly believe that 50 years from now when my generation will have gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you: ‘Is it true, that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’” Conley said.

Conley was the main celebrant of the Mass, but it was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; and other archbishops, bishops, and priests.

Pierre, at the start of Mass, read aloud a note offered by Pope Leo XIV to attendees of the vigil in which the pontiff assured participants of his “spiritual closeness” as they gather “for this eloquent public witness to affirm that the protection of the right to life [is the] ... indispensable foundation of every other human right.”

According to the note, Leo told participants they are “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters” and bestowed an apostolic blessing on them.

Many attendees traveled from other parts of the country to worship at the Jan. 22 vigil and attend the Jan. 23 March for Life.

Miriam Ware, 16, flew from Idaho with a local group called Teens for Life and told EWTN she has become “very interested in becoming a pro-life advocate.”

She said she has attended the Idaho March for Life, but this is the first time she has come to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., and enjoys seeing “how united we are” as a pro-life movement: “Just to see everyone here is awesome.”

Gus Buell, a Catholic high school junior from Traverse City, Michigan, told EWTN that he arrived on Thursday after a 13-hour bus ride and will be attending the March for Life for the first time on Friday.

He said the march helps build up the Catholic and pro-life community, and he commented on the large number of young people active in the faith and the movement, saying “kids are finally starting to be inspired” and many are “trusting God more than they trust themselves.”

The March for Life drew about 150,000 people last year. The 53rd March for Life is on Friday, Jan. 23. The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Credit: roibu/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

The abortion issue will likely be on the ballot in several states this November.

EWTN News took a look at which states have abortion-related measures in the works or on the ballot. 

Four states might vote to create a right to abortion this November. Only one state has a measure to protect life.

Virginian lawmakers add abortion to the ballot

This November, Virginians will consider an amendment to enshrine a fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. The amendment, if passed, could jeopardize already-existing laws protecting unborn children as well as Virginia’s parental notification law.

The proposed abortion amendment would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”

Virginia lawmakers approved the amendment for a second time earlier this month, guaranteeing that it will be on the ballot. Virginia Catholic bishops promptly condemned the amendment, saying they “will fight” against its passage.

Virginia protects life after 28 weeks of pregnancy, meaning that abortion is legal until the end of the second trimester and after in cases of serious risk to the woman’s health or life.

Nevada looks to confirm abortion amendment

Nevada is close to approving an abortion amendment that would recognize a right to abortion.

The amendment would establish a “fundamental right” to an abortion, “without interference by state or local governments” up to viability, and up to birth for the sake of the health or life of the pregnant mother.

In Nevada, the state constitution can be amended only after two affirmative public votes in consecutive even-year elections. About 64% of Nevadans voted in favor of the amendment in 2024, so a 2026 passage would enshrine the amendment. 

Abortion since the 1990s has been legal until the 24th week of pregnancy in Nevada. In addition to reinforcing pro-abortion laws, the new amendment could block other state laws including the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions.

Idaho gathers signatures for abortion ballot measure

In Idaho, a measure to create a right to abortion may appear on the November ballot.

Campaigners are gathering signatures for the measure to legalize abortion until viability, when the baby can survive outside of the womb.

The measure guarantees “a right to make and carry out reproductive decisions, including a right to abortion up to fetus viability.”

Idaho law protects unborn children at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

Oregon measure could reinforce pro-abortion laws

A measure to affirm a right to abortion in Oregon may be on the November ballot.

The measure states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged … on account of sex.”

If passed, it would also affirm a right to contraception, in vitro fertilization, medical “gender transition,” and same-sex marriage. The measure would repeal a vestigial code in the constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Oregon does not protect life at any stage of pregnancy, and the state funds abortion.

Potential ballot measure could repeal Missouri abortion amendment

In November, Missourians will have the opportunity to repeal a 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state constitution. 

If passed, the measure would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion and allow for laws to regulate abortion. It would also codify parental consent for minors seeking abortion and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.

The amendment would not protect unborn children younger than 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest. 

Abortion laws have been in flux in Missouri as the 2024 amendment was enforced amid legal challenges.

Blocked from the ballot: Montana’s push for personhood 

A Montana measure defining unborn children as persons is not on the ballot this year, despite efforts to pass it.

Despite Montana voters’ move to approve a right to abortion in 2024, lawmakers came close to approving the subsequent pro-life measure, which would have stipulated that the word “person” applies “to all members of mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”

The amendment would have required that “no cause of action may arise as a consequence of harm caused to an unborn baby by an unintentional act of its mother.”

The measure narrowly failed to pass in both the Montana House of Representatives and the state Senate in early 2025, receiving just less than the two-thirds majority needed for a measure to be added to the Montana ballot.

Credit: OlegRi/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

As thousands gather for the March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the U.S. — supporters at home can “march” by sharing the pro-life message on social media.

The March Online for the Preborn encourages pro-lifers to post videos of an unborn baby as part of a “global statement for life,” according to a press release shared with EWTN News.

The goal? To get unborn babies trending.

“We know that thousands attend the annual March in D.C. but thousands more around the world can’t make it but still wish to make an impact,” Rachelle Mainse, a spokeswoman for the campaign, told EWTN News.

The campaign by Baby Life Begins invites social media users to post a specific video of an unborn baby in the womb.

“Every year there is a new March Online video that shares a strategic, powerful truth about the preborn that the world needs to hear,” Mainse explained.

“When pro-life advocates and organizations from around the world ‘march together,’ sharing this same video to their platforms, it’s effective in making a big statement online for life.”

“We want people to be scrolling their newsfeed and see it flooded with this same video,” she said.

The campaign is also meant to encourage people to speak up for life.

“We hope that this encourages many in their stand for life no matter where they live or what generation [they are],” said Robert Seemuth, founder and director of Baby Life Begins. “Knowing that you can be a voice for life brings encouragement; coaching how to do it shows it’s possible.”

“Part of the mission of Baby Life Begins is to equip the everyday person to be a voice for life,” Mainse said. “Being a part of the online march may be the first time someone is using their social media to be a voice for life.”

“Courage is imparted when you realize you can post to your God-given circle of friends a post about the sanctity of life that is professionally made,” Seemuth continued. “Fear is reduced when you know thousands of others are sharing the same post.”

“Pro-life work can feel lonely at times — so to feel the support of the global community is huge,” Mainse said.

“Through the internet we can march with advocates all around the world making a unified statement for life online,” Mainse said. “We have heard from people in Australia, Northern Ireland, and different parts of the States joining! Everyone can participate!”

One in 4 women have had an abortion, Mainse noted. “Chances are they have someone around them that has been affected by abortion or will face that choice,” she said.

“It is so important that everyone becomes a voice for the preborn — whether their circle of influence is thousands or just a few. Every voice matters and every person matters in the fight for life.”

“We hope this will inspire them to keep using their social media to share about the preborn,” Mainse added. “It is a powerful medium that changes hearts and lives.”

An unborn baby at 20 weeks — well within the second trimester, when dilation and evacuation abortions are commonly performed. | Credit: Steve via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

A new poll released one day before the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., found that fewer than 4 in 10 Americans identify as “pro-life” rather than “pro-choice,” but more than two-thirds of Americans still support some limits on abortion.

The survey, released on Jan. 22, was conducted by The Marist Poll at Marist University and was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. Pollsters surveyed 1,408 adults from Jan. 12–13.

When respondents were asked whether they identified as either “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” only 37% subscribed to the label “pro-life” and 62% called themselves “pro-choice,” with just 1% of respondents saying they are unsure.

According to the poll, 44% of Catholics identified as pro-life and 55% identified as pro-choice, but practicing Catholics were far more likely to be pro-life.

The pollsters found that 58% of Catholics who identified as practicing were pro-life, compared with 41% who said they were pro-choice. Only 31% of nonpracticing Catholics said they were pro-life, compared with 68% who said they were pro-choice.

However, the poll also found that the “pro-choice” label does not normally translate to abortion without any limits. Rather, about one-third of Americans find themselves somewhere in the middle.

According to the poll, only 32% of Americans believe that abortion should be available at any time in pregnancy, up to the moment of birth.

Meanwhile, 37% believe most abortions should be illegal, with 6% saying it should not be legal in any circumstance, 10% saying it should only be allowed to save the mother’s life, and 21% only supporting abortion when the mother’s life is at risk or when the unborn child is conceived through rape or incest.

Twenty percent of those surveyed said abortion should be legal through the first trimester and 10% said it should be legal through the second trimester. Overall, 67% want at least some limits and 57% want restrictions at least by the end of the first trimester.

The poll also found that 59% of Americans believe an in-person visit with a doctor should be required to obtain chemical abortion drugs, which federal law does not currently require. Just 40% said it should not be required.

A small majority, 54%, oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortion in the United States, while 45% support it. About 69% of adults oppose using tax money to fund abortions overseas and 29% support it.

About 63% support conscience protections for health care workers, saying they should not have to participate in an abortion if they oppose it, and 36% do not support them. About 84% said they support the work of pregnancy resource centers, which do not perform abortions, and just 15% said they oppose it.

“Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus of opinion on this issue among Americans,” Barbara L. Carvalho, the director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement.

“Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” she said. “Despite the changes in practice that have occurred since the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, public opinion has remained consistent.”

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in a statement that the poll shows “a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion” and “a growing majority support pregnancy resource centers, which provide assistance to mothers and their children in their time of greatest need.”

“The Knights have supported vulnerable women and their children since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago, and our commitment has never wavered. And now, we’re guided by the encouraging words of Pope Leo XIV, who recently mentioned in his ‘State of the World’ address, ‘life is a priceless gift’ and that, as Catholics, we have a ‘fundamental ethical imperative’ to ‘welcome and fully care for unborn life,’” he said. “The Knights of Columbus’ mission will continue to be guided by these principles until abortion becomes unthinkable.”

Pro-lifers hold their signs at the March for Life on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/EWTN News

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Thousands of pro-lifers gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd annual March for Life. Follow here for live updates on the march.

• Thousands of pro-lifers gathered in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd annual March for Life on Jan. 23.

Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, speaks with host Abi Galvan during an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly”/Screenshot

Jan 22, 2026 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

In her first year leading the March for Life, the organization’s president is reminding the pro-life movement that they “still have a lot of work to do” in the current political climate, three and a half years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Taking down the Roe regime of abortion-on-demand across the country was incredibly important,” Jennie Bradley Lichter, who became president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund in February 2025, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”

“But there are still way too many abortions happening in this country,” she said. “So that’s the No. 1 reason why we’re still marching.”

Tens of thousands of pro-life activists are expected to gather in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd March for Life on Friday, Jan. 23. The march, which drew out about 150,000 people last year, has been held annually since Jan. 22, 1974, one year after Roe v. Wade was decided.

The speakers will include Lichter, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Rep. Chris Smith, among others. President Donald Trump provided a prerecorded message to the marchers, which will be played during the pre-march rally.

Lichter said in the interview that the annual march “accomplishes three really important things for the movement that cannot be accomplished any other way.”

The first, she said, is “forming young people for pro-life mission,” noting that many attendees are “teenagers and with college students and people in their 20s.” Second, she said, it is “also a really important moment of refreshment and being reenergized, and a lot of people have shared that with me this year.”

Third, Lichter said, is “the public witness impact of having this many people gathered in the heart of our nation’s capital.”

“When you stand at the March for Life, you have the Capitol dome behind the stage, and then the Washington Monument behind the marchers,” she said. “You are right in the heart of the most powerful and important city in the world, and the city shuts down every year on the day of the March for Life.”

“The Lord gives us a chance to show the nation what we’re made of, year after year,” she added. “It’s so powerful.”

Political climate

As pro-life advocates gather in Washington, D.C., 30 states and the nation’s capital still permit abortion up to the 22nd week or later, with nine states allowing elective abortion through nine months until the moment of birth.

In 13 states, nearly all abortions are illegal and in four states, most abortions are illegal after six weeks’ gestation. Two states prohibit abortion after 12 weeks, and one prohibits abortion after 18 weeks.

At the federal level, Lichter expressed some concern stemming from the Trump administration, which was mostly focused on his comment that asked Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during negotiations about extending health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.

The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal tax money from being spent on abortion, has been included in spending bills since 1976, shortly after Roe v. Wade was decided.

“The response to the comment about being flexible on Hyde was swift and strong from everyone,” Lichter said, referring to criticism of the comments that came from the pro-life movement.

“The truth is, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde,” she said. “We can’t be flexible with an issue that implicates human life — the preeminent issue — abortion.”

“The Hyde Amendment is Pro-Life 101,” Lichter said. “It’s a baseline policy that has been in place for 50 years and that every pro-life politician knows is just at the very heart of what it means to be a pro-life lawmaker. So of course, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde.”

Lichter noted that some people think abortion “might be a losing issue in the midterms” for Republicans in November, but she believes “that’s completely wrong” and “misreads the electorate.”

“There’s no data, no examples to support the idea that pro-life politicians have been losing elections since [the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade],” she said.

“They just haven’t been,” she said. “And there’s a lot of counter examples, of course, of really strong pro-life politicians who have put life at the center of their work, who have continued to win reelection.”

The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.