47TH ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE FAST FACTS: Message and Attendees

March for Life on January 24, 2020:
 

• Theme – “Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman”
  • The early suffragists understood the value of all life, including the unborn. Alice Paul, one of the leading suffragists, called abortion “the ultimate exploitation of women.”
  • True female empowerment comes with celebrating all that womanhood entails, including the distinguishing characteristic of bringing new life into the world.

 

• High-profile speaker list includes bi-partisan lineup and abortion survivors:
  • Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA)
  • Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ)
  • State Representative Katrina Jackson (D-LA)
  • Donna Edwards, First Lady of Louisiana
  • Jim Daly – President, Focus on the Family
  • Marjorie Dannenfelser – President, Susan B. Anthony List
  • Elisa Martinez – Founder, New Mexico Alliance for Life
  • Catalina Scheider Galinanes – student speaker
  • David Platt – Pastor, McLean Bible Church
  • His Grace Bishop Apostolos of Medeia
  • Melissa Ohden, survivor of a failed saline infusion abortion
  • Claire Culwell, survivor of a failed surgical abortion

 

• Pro-life victories since Trump administration began:
  • Mexico City policy reinstated and broadened
  • Nomination and confirmation of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to SCOTUS
  • Excellent judicial nominations at a record pace at the appeals and district courts
  • Returning Title X funding decisions to the state
  • DOJ launching formal investigation into Planned Parenthood
  • Expanding religious and conscience exemption of HHS mandate
  • VP Pence becoming first sitting VP to address MFL in person; President Trump recognizing MFL on national TV interview
  • President Trump speaking via video at the 2019 March for Life
  • President Trump nationally condemning late term abortion and infanticide

Abortion Stats:
 

• Marist Polling:
  • Strong majority wants to elect candidates who support substantial abortion restrictions
    • 65% of Americans and the same percentage points of registered voters say they “are more likely to vote for” candidates who would limit abortion to at most the first three months of pregnancy.
      • This includes about nine in 10 Republicans (88%), more than six in 10 independents (62% percent), and more than four in ten Democrats (44%)
  • 62% say that if the Supreme Court revisits Roe v. Wade it should rule to allow states to determine restrictions (46%) or make abortion illegal (16%).
    • The 62% majority includes about four in 10 of those who identify as Democrats (39%) or as “pro-choice” (40%).

 

• Planned Parenthood (2018-2019)
  • Planned Parenthood performed a record-high number of abortions from 2018-2019 with 345,672 babies aborted. The number is 12,915 higher than last year.
  • Adoption referrals were less than 1% of services (0.044%).

History:
 

• The March for Life was founded by a woman named Nellie Gray and has always been run by women; now Jeanne Mancini is the President of the March for Life.  
  • Nellie Gray
    • Founded the March for Life in 1974 and ran it out of her Capitol Hill townhouse for 39 years
  • Jeanne Mancini: President of the March for Life
    • Previously worked at Family Research Council and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Traditionally held during the week of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade – January 22^nd
  • The first March was on the one-year anniversary on Jan. 22, 1974
  • The March for Life plans to continue ever year until Roe v. Wade is overturned 
• The largest human rights demonstration in the world
  • Approximately one hundred thousand participate from across the country. Other countries are also represented.
  • This estimate is based on bus permits, DC metro (WMATA) estimates, crowd counts from major activities (such as Archdiocese of Washington morning Mass)
  • March for life brought in over $13 million for DC businesses in 2017 alone.
• Past speakers include: 
  • President Ronald Reagan (telephone address, 1987)
  • Dr. Bernard Nathanson, founder of NARAL, turned pro-life activist (1998)
  • Norma McCorvey, plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, turned pro-life activist (1998, 2000, 2005)
  • President George W. Bush (telephone address, 2008)
  • Vice President Michael Pence (2017)
  • President Donald Trump (via satellite from the Rose Garden, 2018; via video, 2019)

 

• This is a bipartisan event, as a Democratic member of Congress has spoken at the March for Life 36 out of the past 47 years.