The Vice President: To all
here in the Rose Garden
and to the vast gathering
of Americans,
young and old, on our National 
Mall at this very hour,
welcome back to Washington,
D.C. and welcome back to
the largest pro-life
gathering in the United
States of America, the
45th annual March for Life.
(Applause)
More than 240
years ago, our Founders
wrote words that have
echoed through the ages.
They declared "these 
Truths to be self-evident,"
that we
are, each of us,
endowed by our "Creator with
certain unalienable Rights,
that among these
are, Life, Liberty,
and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Forty-five years ago,
the Supreme Court of the
United States turned its
back on the unalienable
right to life.
But in that moment,
our movement began.
A movement that continues
to win hearts and minds.
A movement defined 
by generosity,
compassion, and love.
And a movement that one
year ago, tomorrow,
inaugurated the most
pro-life President in
American history,
President Donald Trump.
(Applause)
From preventing
taxpayer dollars from
funding abortion overseas
to empowering states to
respect life and Title X,
to nominating judges who
will uphold our God-given
liberties enshrined in the
Constitution of
the United States.
This President has been a
tireless defender of life
and conscience in America.
And today, President Trump
will do even more to
defend the most vulnerable
in our society.
My friends, life is
winning in America because
love saves lives.
And know, as you march
for life, that your
compassion, your
persistence, your
activism, and your
prayers are saving lives.
And this pro-life
generation should never
doubt we are with you.
This President
stands with you.
And He who said, "Before I
formed you in the womb,
I knew you," is
with you as well.
And I believe with all
of my heart, with your
continued dedication and
compassion, with pro-life
majorities in the
Congress, with President
Donald Trump in this White
House, and with God's
help, we will restore the
sanctity of life to the
center of American law.
(Applause)
And so, with a
grateful heart, on this
45th annual March for
Life, it is now my high
honor and distinct
privilege to introduce to
you the 45th President
of the United States of
America, President
Donald Trump.
(Applause)
The President:
Thank you very much.
That's so nice.
Sit, please.
We have tens of thousands
of people watching us
right down the road
- tens of thousands.
So, I congratulate you.
And at least we picked
a beautiful day.
You can't get a
more beautiful day.
I want to thank our Vice
President, Mike Pence, for
that wonderful
introduction.
I also want to thank you
and Karen for being true
champions for life.
Thank you, and
thank Karen.
(Applause)
Today, I'm
honored and really proud
to be the first President
to stand with you here at
the White House to address
the 45th March for Life.
That's very, very special
- 45th March for Life.
(Applause)
And this is a
truly remarkable group.
Today, tens of thousands
of families, students, and
patriots - and, really,
just great citizens -
gather here in our
nation's capital.
You come from many
backgrounds, many places.
But you all come for one
beautiful cause: to build
a society where life is
celebrated, protected,
and cherished.
The March for Life is a
movement born out of love.
You love your families,
you love your neighbors,
you love our nation, and
you love every child, born
and unborn, because you
believe that every life is
sacred, that every child
is a precious gift from God.
(Applause)
We know that
life is the greatest
miracle of all.
We see it in the eyes
of every new mother who
cradles that wonderful,
innocent,
and glorious newborn child in
her loving arms.
I want to thank every
person here today and all
across our country who
works with such big hearts
and tireless devotion to
make sure that parents
have the care and support
they need to choose life.
Because of you, tens of
thousands of Americans
have been born and reached
their full, God-given
potential -
because of you.
You're living witnesses of this 
year's March for Life theme.
And that theme is:
Love saves lives.
(Applause)
As you
all know, Roe vs. Wade
has resulted in some
of the most permissive
abortion laws
anywhere in the world.
For example, in the United
States, it's one of only
seven countries to allow
elective late-term
abortions, along with
China, North Korea, and others.
Right now, in a number of
states, the laws allow a
baby to be born
from his or her mother's
womb in the ninth month.
It is wrong; it
has to change.
Americans are more
and more pro-life.
You see that all the time.
In fact, only 12 percent
of Americans support
abortion on demand
at any time.
Under my administration,
we will always defend the
very first right in
the Declaration of
Independence, and that
is the right to life.
(Applause)
Tomorrow will
mark exactly one year
since I took the
oath of office.
And I will say, our
country is doing really well.
Our economy is perhaps
the best it's ever been.
You look at the job
numbers; you look at the
companies pouring back
into our country; you look
at the stock market
at an all-time high;
unemployment, 17-year low.
Unemployment for African
American workers, at the
lowest mark in the
history of our country.
Unemployment for Hispanic,
at a record low in history.
Unemployment for women,
think of this,
at an 18-year low.
We're really proud
of what we're doing.
And during my first week
in office, I reinstated a
policy first put in place
by President Ronald
Reagan, the Mexico
City policy.
(Applause)
I strongly
supported the House of
Representative's
Pain-Capable bill, which
would end painful,
late-term abortions nationwide.
And I call upon the Senate
to pass this important law
and send it to my
desk for signing.
(Applause)
On the National
Day of Prayer, I signed an
executive order to protect
religious liberty.
(Applause)
Very
proud of that.
Today, I'm announcing that
we have just issued a new
proposal to protect
conscience rights and
religious freedoms of
doctors, nurses, and other
medical professionals.
So important.
(Applause)
I have also
just reversed the previous
administration's policy
that restricted states'
efforts to direct Medicaid
funding away from abortion
facilities that
violate the law.
(Applause)
We are
protecting the sanctity of
life and the family as the
foundation of our society.
But this movement can only
succeed with the heart and
the soul and the
prayer of the people.
Here with us today is
Marianne Donadio from
Greensboro,
North Carolina.
Where is Marianne?
Hello.
Come on up here, Marianne.
Come.
(Applause)
Nice to
see you, Marianne.
Marianne was 17 when
she found out she was pregnant.
At first, she felt like
she had no place to turn.
But when she told her
parents, they responded
with total love, total
affection, total support.
Great parents?
Great?
Ms. Donadio: Wonderful
parents, yes.
The President: I thought
you were going to say that.
I had to be careful.
(Laughter)
Marianne
bravely chose life and
soon gave birth
to her son.
She named him Benedict,
which means blessing.
Marianne was so grateful
for her parents' love and
support that she felt
called to serve those who
were not as
fortunate as her.
She joined with others in her 
community to start a maternity
home to care for homeless 
women who were pregnant.
That's great.
They named it
"Room at the Inn."
Today, Marianne and her
husband, Don, are the
parents of six beautiful
children, and her eldest
son Benedict and her
daughter Maria
join us here today.
Where are they?
(Applause)
Come on over.
How are you?
That's great.
Over the last 15 years,
Room at the Inn has
provided housing,
childcare, counseling,
education, and job
training to more than 400 women.
Even more importantly,
it has given them hope.
It has shown each woman
that she is not forgotten,
that she is not alone, and
that she really now has a
whole family of people who
will help her succeed.
That hope is the true
gift of this incredible
movement that brings
us together today.
It is the gift of
friendship, the gift of
mentorship, and the gift
of encouragement, love,
and support.
Those are beautiful words,
and those are beautiful gifts.
And most importantly of
all,
it is the gift of life itself.
That is why we march.
That is why we pray.
And that is why we declare
that America's future will
be filled with goodness,
peace, joy, dignity,
and life for every
child of God.
Thank you to the March for
Life -
special, special people.
And we are with
you all the way.
May God bless you and
may God bless America.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
