-(4)-1731951738-q80.webp){kind=small}
Less than a week after being sworn in as Vice President under President Donald Trump, former Senator JD Vance addressed the National March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., emphasizing the administration’s commitment to anti-abortion policies and support for families.
Speaking before a crowd near the Washington Monument, Vance, a Republican from Ohio, declared his desire for a nation that values and supports children and families. “I want more babies in the United States of America,” Vance said during his first public address as Vice President. “I want more happy children in our country and beautiful young men and women eager to welcome and raise them.”
The rally, an annual anti-abortion event held since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, drew thousands of participants carrying signs reading “Defund Planned Parenthood” and “Choose Love, Choose Life.” Vance praised Trump’s previous efforts to appoint anti-abortion federal judges and Supreme Court justices and highlighted the expansion of the Child Tax Credit during Trump’s first term.
“The U.S. government should 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 they are,” Vance said. He outlined his vision for a culture that prioritizes family well-being over economic metrics like GDP or stock market performance. “It should be easier to raise a family, easier to find a good job, easier to build a home, easier to save for a stroller or a crib,” he added.
Since assuming the vice presidency, Vance has introduced Trump at inauguration-related events, moved into the vice-presidential residence, and sworn in both Trump’s cabinet members and his Senate successor, former Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted.
At the rally, House Speaker Mike Johnson described the Trump-Vance administration as heralding a “new era.” He pointed to one of Trump’s first acts in office: pardoning nearly two dozen pro-life activists. “Together, we are rebuilding a culture of life, and it begins now,” Johnson said.
Johnson also promoted the administration’s legislative agenda, including the recently passed “Born Alive Survivors Protection Act,” which requires medical practitioners to provide care to infants who survive abortion attempts.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 217 to 204 but lacked sufficient support to advance in the Senate. Ohio Republicans supported the measure, while Ohio Democrats opposed it, arguing that existing laws already mandate such care and accusing the bill of targeting reproductive healthcare providers.
Other notable speakers at the rally included Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who shared her personal story of resilience after losing her arm in a shark attack.
The March for Life continues to serve as a rallying point for anti-abortion advocates, even after the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Vance’s speech underscored the administration’s commitment to advancing policies that align with the movement’s goals.
