Tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington on Jan. 20 to demonstrate their opposition to abortion in the first March for Life annual event since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and delivered a long-sought victory to the pro-life movement.
Participants spread across a section of the National Mall to hear speeches and later took part in a march, holding signs with phrases such as “It’s a Child, Not a Choice,” “I Demand Protection at Conception,” and “I Am The Post-Roe Generation.”
The mention of being part of the “post-Roe generation” refers to the fact that, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ruling that there’s no constitutional right to abortion and thus returning the regulation of abortion to the states. That decision effectively overturned the high court’s landmark decision on Jan. 22, 1973, in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.
Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, spoke at the event, calling it “a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life.”
Some movement leaders hope to persuade congressional lawmakers to impose a federal abortion restriction in the future. Such a proposal would likely face stern opposition in the Democrat-held Senate.
One of those to speak at the rally was House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who encouraged participants to stay focused on “the mission” of extending protections for the unborn.
“You are showing us and giving us hope that the young people of America support life, defend life, are here to march for life,” he said. “When you’re in a battle, it’s important to keep your focus on what the mission is. But every step of the way, it’s also critical that we celebrate victories along the way. And boy, did we get a huge victory just a few months ago when Roe was overturned.”
“Today, trailblazers who fought heroically for the Roe v. Wade decision are watching the next generation grow up without its protections,” Biden said.
He said he would use his executive powers where possible to preserve abortion while urging Congress to enshrine it in law.
About 15 or so activists gathered outside the court building in a counter-protest to the pro-life march, holding signs of their own with phrases such as “Bans off our Bodies,” “Stop Prosecuting Abortion,” and “I Will Aid & Abet Abortion.”
Since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, the legality of abortion has become a matter for states to decide, with roughly a dozen implementing near-total abortion bans.
In the run-up to the Jan. 20 March for Life, congressional Republicans issued a flurry of anti-abortion proposals.
Republicans Introduce Anti-Abortion Bills
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) proposed a new draft measure on Jan. 20 that aims to defund Planned Parenthood by placing a one-year moratorium on federal funding to the organization.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas.) on Jan. 20 introduced the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act and the Protecting Life on College Campus Act in their respective chambers.
The proposed Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act would prohibit doctors from performing abortions because of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis and make it illegal for anyone to coerce a mother into having an abortion for that reason.
The Protecting Life on College Campus Act would bar colleges and universities that have abortion clinics targeted at students or staff or have affiliations with such clinics from receiving federal funding.
The Republicans’ pro-life legislation is likely to face opposition from Democrats and other groups that oppose curbs on access to abortions.
