apparel, books, home decor, and accessories. there is something for every c-span fan, and every purchase supports our nonprofit and is asian. shop now. >> next, the annual march for life rally in washington with speeches from republican representatives julie of the low and christopher smith. plus, the granddaughter of the late reverend billy graham. this is an hour and a half.

>> on behalf of our board and our whole team, i'll come back. welcome to the 49th annual march

for life, the largest human rights demonstration in the world. [applause] we will begin with the pledge of allegiance, and after that, we will welcome matthew west to virtually lead us in the national anthem. [applause] >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [applause]

>> ♪ oh say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and write stars through the perilous fight or the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ free and the home of the brave ♪♪ [cheers and applause] >> thank you, daren and matthew. thank you very much. each year, we are grateful for the collaborative witness of the orthodox bishops and the roman catholic bishops opening our rally in prayer. continuing to proud tradition, i'm now happy to welcome to the podium his eminence arch wish schaap of the dpreek orthodox, chairman of the canon call orthodox bishops of america.

his excellence is joined by a collection of orthodox and roman catholic bishops from around the country. please welcome archbishop elpdophoros. >> dear sisters and brothers. today we come together in solidarity with our brother bishops of the united states conference of catholic bishops

and the assembly of canonical orthodox bishops of the united states of america. [cheers and applause] we affirm the gift and the sanctity of life, all life, born and unborn. as christians, we confess that every human being is made in the image and likeness of god. [cheers and applause] every life is worthy of our prayer and our protection. whether in the womb or in the world. we are all responsible for the well being of children.

we are their keepers and cannot shirk from our accountability for their welfare. at the same time, we also affirm our respect for the authority of women. it is they who bring forth life into the world. by his inkarnation, our lord, god and savior jesus christ assumed human nature through his conception in the womb of the virgin mary. [cheers and applause] virgin mary freely choose to bring him into the world and god respected her freedom. we can and we must make the case for life, both born and unborn. by our example of unconditional

love. we must not coerce, we must with compassion, we must with empathy, with love, with our arms extended to embrace all. [cheers and applause] let us pray to the lord. lord, have mercy, lord you have granted us the opportunity to offer these common prayers in unison and have promised that when two or three gather in your name you are there also. fulfill now, o lord, who was conceived in the womb of the virgin mary by the power of your

own holy spirit the petitions of your servants. remember lord the people here present and those who are absent with good cause. have mercy on them and on us according to the multitude of your words. remember, o god, all those who we are not able to commemorate by forgetfulness or because of their multitude, since you know the names and the age of these even from their mother's womb. for you, lord, are the helper of the helpless. you are the hope of the hopeless. you are the savior of the afflicted. you are the haven of the voyager. and you are the physician of the sick. the protector of the voiceless. be all things to all.

you who know all people, you who know their requests, their households, and their needs, for you are the giver of life, bringing each person from nonbeing into being. filling each person with love and sanctity. may we come to the light of your truth and floor fi you, the giver of life, together with your father and your all holy and life-giving spirit now and ever and unto the ages of age, amen. [crowd says "amen"] ♪ ♪

>> nice to see you again. this is never an easy situation. and it would be in your best interest to determine -- it will be like it never happened. [heart beat] ♪

♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> thank you, your eminence. folks, i want to make a quick announcement. i wasn't planning on this. it's very cold out there, i know it's cold back stage. there are first aid tents. if anybody gets so cold that it's unhealthy, go to the first aid tent. in our plan we have warming buss so that if any of you are too cold that it's a health issue,

get in a warming bus. please know we have ways to keep you safe and keep you warm. stay warm today. ok. so as i mentioned i'm proud to serve as president of the march for life. last year things looked a little bit different where we had pro-life leaders marching thru washington, d.c. but i can't tell you how happy i am to welcome you all back. can you tell? because i've said it like four times already. [cheers and applause] now i want to talk for a minute about this year's theme. the theme of the march for life is equality begins in the womb. [cheers and applause] the word equality is something we're hearing a lot these days but it's rarely defined so we're talking about it around the dinner table, we're hearing about it in the halls of congress. whether it's about racial injustice or whether it's covid-19, we're hearing a lot about equality. and these are topics that need to be discussed.

and the truth is that we are all equal in dignity, regardless of skin color, disability status, socioeconomic background or stage of life. including the earliest stages in life. every life has inherent human dignity and every life matters. every life should be protected from the moment of conception or fertilization to quote martin luther king, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. equality begins in the womb. [cheers and applause] nearly 49 years ago tomorrow, on january 22, 1973, our country was forever changed for the worse when seven men on the united states supreme court handed down roe v. wade,

making -- marking american history and expanding abortion to all 50 states, legalizing abortion through all three trimesters until birth. we are hoping and praying that this year20, 22, will bring a historic change for life. [cheers and applause] the very fact that you're here in very cold welcome in blizzards and government shutdown, even in pandemics, speaks to the fact that you are marching for the single most critical human rights abuse of our time. and i'll tell you what else it shows. roe is not settled law. [cheers and applause] your witness, the hundreds of thousands of you going before the supreme court every year,

shows more than anything than i can think of 49 years later that roe is not settled law. [cheers and applause] your presence makes a difference. thank you. as you're going to hear from some very power. stories from our speakers today, the idea that abortion is good for women couldn't be further from the truth. what is true is that choosing life, while not always easy, is right. and empowering for women. [cheers and applause] as we await the supreme court's decision in dobbs v. jackson women's health organization, we need your support and dedication advocating for life more than ever before. years of hard work and years you coming here have brought us to this place today and no matter how dobbs is decided, your voice

and the importance of that on the federal and state levels are all the more important. if roe fall, the battle lines will change. but make no mistake, the fight for life will need to continue in the states and here in d.c. [cheers and applause] we need you to remain vigilant and ready for action. we need you to remain vigilant and ready for action. are you up for the challenge? [cheers and applause] then let me ask you a couple of questions. do you believe the unborn person should have the right to life? if you do, let me hear you say yes. i'm sorry, i couldn't hear you, could you say that again, please? [crowd says "question"] >> say it loud enough that the guy in the white house hears you.

[crowd says "yes"] >> will you march for the poorest of the poor, the most vulnerable, the unborn who cannot speak for themselves, babies in the mother's womb? let me hear you say question. crowd cheers. -- [crowd cheers] >> will you march so abortion becomes unthinkable. [crowd cheers] >> excellent. thank you. i'm going to ask you to take out your phones now. we're going to have a little contest. you'll be able to see some fun things on the screen. open your text messages and text the word march, m-a-r-c-h, to 73705 -- 73075. in this historic year for life

it is more important than ever that we stay connected and thaty take action on pro life issues throughout the year. your lawmakers who you're going to hear from soon need to hear from you on this issue. your voice matters and by texting march to 73075, you'll receive a text message back prompting you to sign up for our national network of hundreds of thousands of pro life americans all around the country and we'll keep you up to date on important issues throughout this year do. that now. now for the fun part. take a look -- father mike is very fun, i hear him back stage. it's not his turn yet but he's excited to meet you all. look at the screen. just to see how far and wide he's traveled to be here with us today. this morning i met an exchange

student from uzbekistan who came. five buses of you are from north dakota. we've got people from all over the country and world. nice. once again go ahead and text march to 73075 and we'll see the pin drops on the map. we march today in defense of human rights and to celebrate the dignity and worth of every human life because equality begins in the womb. thank you, folks. [cheers and applause]

>> ok. coming up on stage with me now are courageous pro life leaders in the united states congress who are standing -- [cheers and applause] you know what, they don't often get applauded for standing for life. let's do that one more time. [cheers and applause] i'd like to take a moment to acknowledge each of them for their bravery and their commitment to ensuring equality begins in the womb. joining me are u.s. senator james lankford of oklahoma.

congresswoman michelle fish bach of minnesota. congresswoman diana harshbarger of tennessee, congressman dan crenshaw of texas. [cheers and applause] congresswoman vicki hartzler of missouri. [cheers and applause] wonderful. congressman matthew rosendale of montana. congresswoman mary miller of illinois. congressman barry moore of alabama. [cheers and applause] congressman andy harris of maryland. [applause] congressman warren davidson of ohio. [cheers and applause] congressman mike johnson of louisiana. [cheers and applause] congressman andrew cleveland of georgia. [cheers and applause] congresswoman marjorie taylor

greene of georgia. [cheers and applause] congressman mike kelly of pennsylvania. [cheers and applause] congressman scott franklin of florida. [cheers and applause] congresswoman yvette harrell of new mexico. [cheers and applause] we are also joined by two people from i am so grateful to know, congresswoman julia letlow of louisiana and congressman chris smith of new jersey. [cheers and applause] first up, congresswoman julia letlow, the first republican woman elected to congress from the state of louisiana. a new and deep friend to the march for life. congresswoman. ms. letlow: thank you. who is ready to march for life? my name is julia letlow, i'm honored to be here with all of

you today as we collectively raise our voices in unity for those who deserve equal rights under the law, the unborn. [cheers and applause] today i can't help but reflect on the amazing experience of carrying my own first child and feeling for the first time those incredible flutters of life in my womb. i remember being filled with awe and wonder at the miracle growing inside of me while praying the scripture from jeremiah 1:5 over my unborn son. the lord said before i formed you in the womb, i knew you. before -- [cheers and applause] before you were born, i set you apart. i believe that the lord makes that promise for every one of our lives and every soul is

precious in his sight. i have always considered myself to be pro-life but i never understood exactly what that truly meant until i saw my innocent and precious child take his first beautiful breath of life and in that moment, i truly understood the importance of why we must always actively fight for life. [cheers and applause] now in the coming months, we anticipate a monumental decision from the supreme court. we know that it has taken a great deal of work from all of you over the past 48 years to bring us to this one moment in time. there have been many, many ups and downs on this journey but you never gave up. your faith and perseverance has been our movement's guiding light. we are here today because of

you. [cheers and applause] as we stand one step closer to saving the unborn, i encourage you, keep marching. keep advocating. keep writing. keep fighting. because ultimately we will prevail. [cheers and applause] and it's truly an honor to stand with you today. thank you for all you do to defend life. god bless you all. [cheers and applause] >> thank you very much. what a beautiful, beautiful statement to all of these wonderful pro life marchers here today and as i look behind me, we have the greatest group of lawmakers, articulate, compassionate, fighting for life, please give another round of applause for these members. [cheers and applause] special thanks to the march for

life and judy for providing this amazing opportunity to again rally to protect women and babies from the violence of abortion. we meet this year with fresh hope and heightened expectations that by at least affirming the mississippi pro life law and perhaps going even further with texas, the supreme court may soon take a power. step toward inclusion, justice, and respect for the weakest and most vulnerable. we are here to say, equality begins in the womb. and the injustice of abortion need not be forever. today, after decades of noble struggle and sacrifice, we are hopeful that government sanctioned viebles against children and the exploitation of women by abortion is nearing an end. although, in a very real way,

the struggle to defend innocent human life now enters a critically important new phase. we are at the tipping point and we must seize the opportunity with all the faith and courage we can muster to face the serious challenges before us. today, president biden has weaponized the entire federal bureaucracy to aggressively -- [crowd boos] to aggressively support abortion on demand at home and overseas, including the full court press to have taxpayers fund abortion on demand. [crowd boos] last september the house of representatives passed the abortion on demand until birth act that not only legalizes late term abortions but would nullify every pro life modest restriction ever enacted. we have challenges. and you know, all of you have

worked on this. members did this in state -- as state legislators. women's right to know laws in 35 states. parental involvement in 37 states. pain-capable unborn child protection laws in 19 states. waiting periods in 26 states. sex-selection abortion bans in 11 states. and of course funding which they want to compel and coerce us to pay for abortions. for decades, my friends, and i know you know this, right up until this very moment, abortion supporters defend the indefensible with to lid resolve. which -- with stoll lit resolve. which begs the question, why does dismembering a child with sharp knive, pulverizing a child with suction guys or chemically poisoning a baby with texasic chemicals fail to elicit so much

as a scintilla of empathy or compassion from the so-called pro choice crowd. medical research now is finding that unborn children feel pain at 15 weeks, gestational age. and maybe earlier. and thanks to ultra sound the babies are far more visible than ever before. children in the womb need to be treated as patients. indeed given treatment not killed by abortion. in 1973, and i hope the court is listen, the supreme court abandoned women and babies to what is now the multibillion dollar abortion industry that has killed almost 3. -- killed almost 63.5 million baby, more than the entire population of italy. in 2022, god willing, the supreme court can begin dismantling the culture of life they have imposed on america. god bless you and march and

vote. [cheers and applause] >> thank you for your tireless efforts to promote and defend life. this year's march for life theme is equality begins in the womb. life is the most basic right to which we are endowed by our creator and one of our nation's founding principles. >> no matter where you're coming from today you've joined this mission because you're as passionate as i am about protecting life. >> since 1974, folks like you oftentimes students, busing in from across the country, have gathered to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to show the world we value the sanctity of life of the unborn. you are here to tell elected official, bureaucrats -- bureaucrats and all american, we've had enough. along with millions of others across the country we champion the rights of every child, born and unborn. because every american has the right for an equal chance to survive and thrive.

>> with hope and prayer, thousands have marched each year for decades at the annual march for life. >> they celebrate the degreenity of human life and confront the way ours society fails to protect it. >> you're making a statement on the sanctity of life and the diversity of americans who care for this topic. >> expands generations, economi, economic statuses, people of all backgrounds and experiences. they're all represented in this movement. >> the sanctity of life is not a political fight it's a fight for humanity itself. i stand firmly with you and all those marching. >> one of my core convictions is that every human being no matter the circumstances of their birth or their station in life has equal dignity and worth. and yes, that fundamental equality begins in the womb. >> each life is a blessing and now more than ever we must remain committed to doing everything we can to remain united in these efforts.

>> we are all fighting to give a voice to the voiceless. what's more american than that? >> each of us has a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, even those not yet born. >> today we mourn the loss of so many lives to abortion. but today we should also be encouraged by how we're winning this battle. >> i parapray that each life will be valued for what it is. equal. >> i will always vote oprotect these lives because the right to life is the foundation on which other rights are built. >> today we celebrate the sanctity of life and reaffirm our commitment to make sure every child's life is valued. i stand with the men and women braving the cold to march for life. >> the most vulnerable among us, children in the womb, diserve protection. >> i will continue to be a proud voice for the voiceless and work toward our mission to protect the sanctity of life. >> now more than ever we must

continue to do what is right and push for pro life policies. >> because when we stand united we can give a voice to all the voiceless and protect all life no matter how small. >> i'm proud to stand with you. and i'm confident that in the end right and justice will prevail because we have the truth on our side. >> we believe everyone is equally loved by god and should be equally protected. that's why we don't give up. that's why we march for life. >> you just know how heartwarming it is to have you come out every year regard throafs weather to march for life. >> thank you for the commit thament you have made to protect life. >> may god bless you all. keep up the important work. [applause] >> thank you, congresswoman letlow and congressman smith.

next up we'll be hearing from three truly inspiring people. speaking us to first is tony mcfadden. tony is an author and founder of relationships matter, an education that -- an organization that educates youth on how to have healthy relationships. her thoughts on chemical abortion will inspire you, it inspired me the first time i heard her. after that we hear from christine wagner, founder of the largest legal organization committed to protecting free speech and the sanctity of life. finally in this threesome we'll hear from the honorable dan lipinski of illinois. he served for 16 years in the house of representatives and was the democratic co-chair of the congressional pro life caucus. welcome toni, kristen, and

congressman lipinski. [cheers and applause] toni: good afternoon, everyone. i am honored that i have been given the opportunity to share my story with you on such a historical day. there was a time in my life that i i believed my life was more valuable than my unborn baby's. my senior year in high school, i selfishly ended the life of my child. i believed the lie that if i aborted my child my boyfriend would stay with me my parents would never find out about my secret and my life would go along as planned. in the abortion fa -- and the abortion facility led me to believe the same. p i was seven weeks along.

during my ultra sound i was told my baby was nothing, just the size of a pea. i was sent home with a chemical abortion pill which ended up not working, causing me to see veer -- causing me to experience severe hemorrhaging unexpectedly while i was in school. this was a month after taking those pills. this is the reality of abortion. it only destroys. my boyfriend walked out of my life without warning. my life began to unravel at the seams. this is what the abortion industry calls freedom? the greatest regret of my life was ending the life of my child. i believe all lives matter. [cheers and applause] and those who advocate for black lives to matter and demand equal

rights for black men and women, that needs to start in the womb. [cheers and applause] because we know the very act of abortion is wiping us out. as dr. martin luther king jr. said, it is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not in favor of justice for all people. and that includes preborn babies. [cheers and applause] i am so thankful that we have a god who redeems. [cheers and applause] and we can take the pain and the mistakes of our past and make something absolutely beautiful out of it. the boyfriend that broke up with me, he came back to me almost nine years later to apologize to me.

and less than a year later, this happened. [cheers and applause] we were able to honor our unborn baby at our wedding by lighting an extra candle to honor their life. and then god blessed us with more beautiful children, three, who i have with me today. [cheers and applause] this is a picture of redemption. we are on the right side of history in this battle. i needed all of you then, and these babies still need you now. and we will not stop until abortion is made illegal and unthinkable. thank you. [cheers and applause]

>> year after year we come to this place to take a stance, to witness the truth and for 49 years pro life americans have been building a great bridge together. a bridge between a time when every 60 million lives ago our nation protected its innocents and when it valued motherhood. and that day still coming when we'll once again recognize the dignity of every human life. kristen: equality begins in the womb with the understanding that life is god's gift to each of us. and whatever our mental and physical strength or limitations, whatever our challenges or tuns we start out with, we are none of us accidents. it's time for our nation's leaders and our nation's laws to recognize that we will all come into being with a purpose. with a one of a kind

contribution that we can make alone and that our government, our government owes us the chance to accomplish that purpose and to live out that destiny. this year, at long last, that truth may once again be recognized in our law. the dobbs case argued just last month at the supreme court has exposed a half century of lies, bad science, and the devastating consequences that roe vs. wade has wreaked on women, children and families. generations have relentlessly prayed and tirelessly labored for that day when roe is no more. when the courts -- when the court returns to us as citizens our voice and when mothers and children are cherished. pray. please pray. pray as you have never prayed before. that the supreme court will have the moral courage to do what is

right and to fully and to finally reverse roe vs. wade. because the right to abortion has no basis in our constitution. and -- [cheers and applause] and in the meantime, we are going to put feet to those prayers today. we'll walk, we'll continue to build a bridge, a bridge to love, a bridge to grace, a bridge to a more compassionate future, to a nation that recognizes that every human life to a government that supports women and protect theirs children, and recognizes the value of that human life and to a culture where life and freedom finally flourish. [cheers and applause]

mr. lipinski: it's great to be with you again. it always lift misheart to see so many young people here. got to give a special shout out to the students from st. vincent college, i met a couple of days ago. it's always great. you are the pro life generation. thanks for showing up. as you know, i spent 16 years in congress as a pro-life democrat. until my defense of babies in the wombs led to my loss in the 2020 democratic primary. they came after me because they wanted to silence the voice of pro-life democrats. but we will not be silenced. [cheers and applause] and we have democrats for life of america out here wherever you're at in this big crowd. must be muffled in the big crowd here.

[laughter] but abortion cannot be -- being pro-life, being pro-life cannot be a partisan issue. [cheers and applause] equal protection for babies in the womb must be supported by all americans. because our nation's founding documents state that it's a self-evident truth that we're all created equal. no matter how small, weak, or poor, and that our creator gives all of us a right to life. [cheers and applause] no institution is perfect, and sadly our nation has not always secured equality for all under the law. this past monday we celebrated martin luther king jr. tai to honor his fight for equality. today we are here to fight for

equality for babies in the womb. whose most basic right to life is not being protected. we are here on their behalf, on the behalf of the smallest and weakest among us. [cheers and applause] you all know it's not an easy fight. despite the insults hurled against us, we do it with love, love for babies and love for their mothers. today we march to the supreme court which this year has the opportunity to give the american people, for the first time in 50 years, the ability to recognize that equality begins in the womb. [cheers and applause] and finally right the deadly injustice. hopefully next year we'll be in a new era of build agriculture of life because r oarvetion will be gone.

[cheers and applause] but no matter what happens at the supreme court, we will continue to march. we'll continue to march to protect the unborn. we'll continue to march until our nation fulfills the promise of equality and the right to life for all. until all babies and their mothers are protectd. thank you for being here. god bless. [cheers and applause] disble how are you guys doing out there? staying warm? [cheers and applause] >> thank you, toni, kristen and congressman lipinski. look at all the young people here today. you guys are the pro-life generation. remember to share your pictures on social media. tell your story about why you're

pro-life. that's what's going to change hearts and minds. each of you has a story. let people know why you're marching. use that hashtag, #whywemarch. let the world know why you're marching today. share your pictures on twitter, instagram and facebook. starting off our next couple of speakers i want to welcome lisa robertson who you may know from the popular reality show "duck dynasty." lisa and her husband al have worked in ministry for over 22 years and speak at pregnancy centers and pro-life events. lisa's story is a power. testimony of hope and healing and it has impacted many lives. following lisa, i know you're going to be very excited to welcome to the stage katy shaw. katy -- katy's parents chose life after learning that their daughter had a serious medal

complication and down syndrome. while her mom was still pregnant. her life is a witness to the dignity, equality and immashable value of every person from the moment of conception. welcome lisa and then katy. [cheers and applause] lisa: i was 16, pregnant, unwed, vulnerable and desperate to believe their lies. i was told three lies that day. in that abortion clinic. three lies that would impact my life and the life of my unborn child. the first is, it's just a glob of tissue. but that was a lie because we know that life begins at conception. [cheers and applause] the second was, i was told, your body will heal and be as good as new in a couple of days.

that also was a lie. my body was never the same and i was never able to carry a child to full term. the third. when you leave here today, you can forget this day ever happened. again, that was a lie. that was 40 years ago and every day of my life i think of that day. these lives and many others nearly cost -- these lies and many others nearly cost me my life, my family, my children that i carried and birthed. it did cost me two children and generations of grandchildren. but god. [cheers and applause] god rescued me. he forgave me. he redeemed me. and he also gave me a voice to speak out for the unborn.

he gave me a voice to speak the truth and not lies. as the body of christ, we need to be pro-love and pro-life in a pro-hate and pro-choice world. [cheers and applause] we can't sit back any longer and allow our future generations to be aborted. we must act now. we are closer than ever to reversing roe vs. wade and bringing life, the importance of every life, and the sanctity of life, back to the hearts and minds of america. there is a mission field out there, right outside your front door. it's in your own family. it's in your church. it's in your community and in

your youth groups. we are not in a bubble. it's happening right beside us. it's in the kinders and the restaurants that we frequent. it's in our hair and nail salons. in the grocery stores and shopping malls. and in thoselile boutiques we like to shop in. everywhere you look, young women are making decisions out of despair and because of the lies that they hear. we have to be pro-adoption as well. [cheers and applause] when roe vs. wade is overturned, we will need families to adopt the children that are saved. decide today, right here, in washington, d.c., our nation's capital, that you'll take up this fight for the life of the unborn and the countless women who will suffer as i have because of their decisions.

i am blessed to be here with you, to be part of the pro-life movement now pick up your cross, the cause of christ, and speak truth, speak life, speak love, and speak jesus -- and seek jesus. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> are you guys ready? [cheers and applause] good afternoon. my name is katy shaw from indianapolis, indiana. [cheers and applause] i am a born and raised hoosier. i am 36 years old and i have down syndrome. [cheers and applause]

i am happy to be here today in the fight for the dignity of human life for all unborn babies diagnosed with a disability or not. i believe equality for you, me, and everyone started in the womb. [cheers and applause] it started the day of conception, when god gave us our soul. [cheers and applause] i am proud to be here to march to show the world that people with a disability or not, need to have a chance to show the world god's plan for them. [cheers and applause] they need a chance to live their life outside the womb. [cheers and applause] my parents found out i had

serious medical issues and down syndrome when my mom was five months pregnant with me. my parents never thought about aborting me. [cheers and applause] they worked and planned with the doctors to help me have my wonderful life. now here i am, 36 years later. [cheers and applause] contributing to society, working full time, enjoying family, friends, playing sports, and participating in a book club. [cheers and applause] and speaking out with you for the unborn.

i even got to speak to our past pro-life president, president trump. [cheers and applause] at the white house. [cheers and applause] as you can see, my equal life that started in the womb was meant to be. [cheers and applause] many people don't know that there's a waiting list, a waiting list, for babies with down syndrome to be adopted and yet over 80% of babies with down syndrome are not given the chance to be adopted. [crowd boos] they are aborted and their equality ends.

it makes me very sad to think of all the friends i have that i might have lost if their parents did not believe equality starts in the womb. it makes me sad to think of friends i missed because they were aborted. friends, you and i have been given the chance to fight for equality in the womb. and by working together we can make the difference -- a difference in the world. as we march today, let us remember psalm 139. you knit me together in my

mother's womb. i am fearfully and wonderfully made. wonderful are your works that i know full well. in your book were written all the days that were formed for me. when none of them had yet existed. thank you. god bless all of you. and get ready to march! [cheers and applause] >> thank you, lisa and katy. your witness to the sanctity of life is beautiful. thank you. our next speaker, some of you may know as mike fever from the -- ok, i'm not sure i've ever seen such an excited crowd. i have to be honest.

[cheers and applause] this is my 10th march for life and i'm pretty sure i've never seen as excitable a crowd as you are an i'm so grateful. from the hit sitcom "growing pains" actor and producer kirk cameron has appeared in dozens of television and movie productions and is a courageous voice for life for the unborn in hollywood. which is no easy thing. but before kirk comes up to the stage we want to share with you a sneak peek into his exciting new production that we think you're going to love. let's take a look. >> what are you going to do? >> there's a birth mother on the line with a question for you. >> we have a son. >> are you sure? >> it feels perfect.

>> you want to talk to him? >> i don't think he'd want to talk to me. >> i know i'm not supposed to know everything but tell me everything. >> is that your birth mom? >> she wants to meet. >> really? >> god gave you to me and mom as a gift and you'll always be our son. [cheers and applause] kirk: good afternoon, everybody. you know, i am from warm and sunny california, it's also the land of loose nuts and bolts. i'd much rather be here in washington, d.c. with you, for

the march for life. no other place i'd rather be. well, so excited to be here with you. i love to see your signs and your smiles and your hearts filled with love and compassion. for moms and babies and families. some of you, if you're under 20 years old you might be saying who is mike seaver. but listen, your mom and dad have known each other since the 1980's. [cheers and applause] so just think of me as like the long lost uncle you never knew you had. some of you wouldn't even be here if it weren't for a movie called "fireproof." ask your parents, they'll tell you the whole story. why are we here? the bible, the book that built

america -- [cheers and applause] says that those who hate god love death but we're the family of faith. we love god therefore we love life. [cheers and applause] and our hope is not in the white house. it's not in congress. our hope is not in the people who govern us or the laws that emake in this nation. our hope is in the power of god working in the hearts of his people. [cheers and applause] as this issue of life is very personal for me. my wife is an adopted child. [cheers and applause] chelsea was one doctor appointment away from not existing. our first four children are also adopted. [cheers and applause] they were this close to not being here and if my wife

chelsea had not been born our two natural born children would not exist either so my six children and my wife are here as a result of loving, compassionate, and courageous people like you who are marching today at the march for life. [cheers and applause] i hope that you have a chance later this year to see the movie "life mark" cha is based on a true story. it's a story that is so much better than anything we ever could have scripted. but the makers of "fireproof" and "courageous" and "war room" and i have teamed up to bring this film that highlights the value and preciousness of life in the womb and the beauty of adoption. explaining how one life can impact so many.

you're adopted too. we're going to be marching together this afternoon, but after this day is over i want us all to remember to continue the marching orders that have been given to us by our commander in chief who lives in the heavenly places. and his executive orders trump all other executive orders. chaws and the mandates from heaven remind us to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our god. that's what we will be doing this afternoon and i'm proud to be with you. god bless you guys. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, kirk. next up we'll welcome to the stage two very special speakers. this year the iconic march for

life banner will be carried up capitol hill by pro-life students from christendom college. one of those students is speaking to you, george. george is a senior and serves as a president of the pro-life student club, shield of roses. following george, we are going to hear from mckayla cook. mckayla is a student at george mason university just across the riiver in fairfax, virginia. and she heroically chose life. in the past couple of years. she's going share that story with you. she had a lot going against her and her daughter but with the love and support of others, she chose life. she'll tell you about that herself. welcome, george, and then mckayla. [applause] >> thank you so much.

my name is george. it is such an honor to be here representing my college. as we lead this year's march for life. together we are always here to pray and fight for the unborn. to might peers specifically, your voice matters. we need youthful, positive voices every day to protect and defend the most vulnerable among us. our generation has suffered tremendously from abortion. but do not be discurrentlied. we will see -- discouraged. we will see the end of abortion if we keep fighting for the equal rights of every human being from the moment of conception. [cheers and applause] however, we cannot just fight for the unborn once a year at the march for life. but every single day. this includes praying in front of abortion clinics regularly. i've been blessed with the

opportunity to do this every saturday morning with my fellow students. it is such a great thing to see young people doing this. but we need more. if we are going to see the end of abortion, we, all of us, need to take a stand every day. we must pray for the innocent babies and their mothers, but also for their fathers. [cheers and applause] today's culture calls this a woman's issue. however, a baby can only be made by a woman and a man. [cheers and applause] this is also a man's issue. men, need to -- we need to rise up to the vocation, to protect the unborn, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. even though you might be prosecuted for standing up for the truth, don't back down. this is both a woman and a man's

issue. we need every person, man and woman, to join in this fight for the rights of the unborn. be encouraged, we are on the side of the truth. and the truth always prevails. [cheers and applause] god bless you all for being here. gnaw,000 in let's fight for un-- now let's fight for the unborn every day. thank you. [cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause] >> my name is michaella. i'm 19 years old. [cheers and applause] i currently live in fairfax county and i attend george mason university. a little over a year ago, i found out i had become pregnant and went to an abortion clinic. i didn't know what other choice i had and i was scared. but i knew that i didn't want to abort. i was lucky the staff there was very kind to me and they let me come to my own conclusions, being supportive when i told them i didn't want to go through with it. in the following months i was kicked out of my parents' home and moved from place to place, struggling to keep up with school and wondering whether i made the right decision. i considered abortion again.

how could i support a child when i had no place to stay. no healthy food to eat. and no money to pay for my education or theirs. that's when i found mary shelter virginia. [cheers and applause] there they gave me not just shelter, but guidance. they gave me a room of my own, counseled me and encouraged me to continue my schooling. nine months later, i had my daughter, amy. [cheers and applause] mary shelter continued to help me afterwards and they gave us both so much care and love. i know where i am now because of their support and the people who support them. on the other hand, i have to say that it wasn't easy. i was scared, hurt and felt so alone for so long. so many times i considered giving up life entirely.

somehow though i managed to keep going and i'm glad i did. my daughter, amy, is my pride and joy of my life. [cheers and applause] and she's my source of determination. i feel happier with her and i can't imagine what my life would be like had i choalsen the other -- had i chosen the other option. [cheers and applause] thank you so much. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting] >> mckayla said something to me like, i don't want to speak at a march for life. i hadn't even asked her to speak then and we just knew somehow in god's providence it was going to work out that she was speaking at the march for life. so thank you, mckayla. and thank you to george too. now, i know that many of you are

very excited -- [indiscernible] [cheers and applause] i can't even get it out. ok. [laughter] [cheers and applause] >> [indiscernible] ok. many of you are excited to hear from our last speaker of the day. he's a priest in the diocese of duluth. he's chaplain at the university of minnesota and the host of the

national and international podcast bible in a year. [cheers and applause] please help me welcome to the podium father mike smith. [cheers and applause] >> wow. it is an honor, incredible honor, to be able to be here with you today. you've been troupers. it's so cold. and there are no chairs anywhere. there's the hard part. you know, my first -- the first piece i ever -- speech i ever gave in my entire life was in eighth grade. we got a chance to choose any topic, any argument, any position. and the topic that i chose in eighth grade was, i chose to talk about the dignity of human life from natural conception to natural death and the evil of abortion and euthanasia. [cheers and applause] growing up, my mom, we had a

fridge, like most people have refrigerators, right, so on the fridge were the normal things, pictures of kids, pictures that we drew but there are three images on our fridge. the first was of a baby that was only weeks old that had died because of an eggtopic pregnancy. could you see so clearly this child had just been conceivinged weeks before, was so clearly -- this is a person, this is not only a human baby, this is a human person that mattered. the second image was a cartoon my mom had on the fridge and it was a person standing there with a bunch of buttons and one of the buttons said, save the baby seals, the fourth button said, pro-choice. and the caption was, i find it so difficult to talk to pro-choicers because i find that their logic is not as consistent as mine. and the third image was an image of a garbage bag that was wide open and in that garbage bag

were the remains of children that had been aborted. and were being thrown away in the trash. but the pro-lifers had rescued the remains of those babies to treat them like people. because those babies matter. because people matter. [cheers and applause] that's what my mom put on her fridge. [laughter] and those images are there, you know, because of the fact, because people matter, and people matter to my mine, do this because -- mom, do this. because a woman, helen amonson was about 50 years old and she was the head nurse at a hospital called sinai hospital in the twin cities in minnesota. in 1973 that hospital decided to begin performing abortions. and helen, she knew that people mattered. she knew that children mattered. she knew that her nurses

mattered. she hated the fact that the hospital that had done such good in that world in that part of the world, was now about to do so much evil and they were forcing her nurses to participate in abortions. they were forcing her nurses to carry the remains of these children to be disposed and so she went to the board of directors and she said this need to stop. either you stop doing abortions or i'm leaving. [cheers and applause] in that moment, helen stood and they said, you can leave. so in that moment helen walked. [cheers and applause] and i have to tell you, it broke her heart. it almost destroyed her life. she never went back to nursing. her son told me that he believes that if it wasn't for her faith, she might have even ended her

own life. but she stood and she walked and that matters. because every person matters. every life matters. but it broke her heart and i think that's why we're here too, right? i think we're here because abortion and what it's done has broken our hearts. and i know so many people here, you're standing here because you know the dignity of human life and so many people are among us because this story is part of your story. because you found yourself at one point in a place where it seemed like life was an impossible choice and so i know that we're surrounded by men and women who have chosen abortion. listen, here's what you need to know. you're supposed to be here. you matter. [cheers and applause] you belong here. no matter what your past is.

you are still loved. you need to know. this you are still loved. and you still matter. there's a young woman i was in communication with recently and she knew i was coming out here. she said, this is you what need to do, father. she said, you need to tell them what you told me 12 years ago. 12 years ago this young woman found herself in a crisis pregnancy. she found herself in a place of deep shame. she described it as a place of deem shame where all these choices led to this moment where she found herself pregnant and she was scared and alone and all of her family members and almost all of her friends were saying, just get rid of it. if you get rid of it, it won't matter anymore. she said, but father, you said to me, you told me that my baby mattered. you told me when i told you i didn't want to be a mom, you told me, you're already a mom. [cheers and applause]

she said, you need to tell those women who are in that moment, they're already a mom. and she said, i thought i hated my baby and realized these many years later, i didn't hate my baby. i hated the circumstances in which i found myself. i didn't hate my baby. i was ashamed might have self -- of myself. that young woman 12 years ago, she gave her son to a couple who adopted him and have loved him. he's blessed their life and they've blessed their life. she said, they need to know that my son is a gift from god himself. [cheers and applause] but she also said, everyone needs to remember, they need to be reminded of the fact that regardless of your choices, you are still loved and you still matter. [cheers and applause] and that's why we're standing

here. that's why we're walking here. and the big question of course can be, we're going to stand and walk, what does it matter? like, what does it do is a good question. i think it's good to ask that question. what does it matter, what does it do? you know, when my grandma helen, my grandma helen amonson left sinai hospital, in 1973, it didn't change the hospital. it didn't change the culture. it didn't change the law. it didn't change the country. but when she walked it changed her. when she stood, it changed her. and it changed her sons and it changed her daughter, my mom. and that willingness to stand, that willingness to walk, it has

echoed in my life, it has echoed into the life of this young woman. it is incar nat in the life of a -- incar nate in the life of a 12-year-old boy who wouldn't be here if my grandma helen hadn't stood, my grandma helen hasn't t walked. every child matters. every woman matters. every person matters. [cheers and applause] and no matter what this does, no matter what this changes, your being here standing, your being here walking changes you and you matter. god bless you. [cheers and applause]

>> one last time. [crowd chanting] >> [indiscernible] -- but i agree. now you may have noticed that the stage is slowly filling up behind me with some familiar faces. the pro-life movement is made up of incredibly dedicated individuals who are day in and day out to build a culture of life in our country and around the world. the mission of the march for life is to make abortion unthinkable by uniting, equipping and mobilizing people in the pro-life -- in the public square. unite. unity is at the heart of the mission of our organization. every single one of these courageous leaders coming up here and standing on these risers represents a different

organization with a specific mission in the urgent task of building a culture of life. each organization is unique and meets a different need in the fight to protect most vulnerable and with the loss of over 62 million americans to abortion, there's so much work ahead of the pro-life movement and pro-life people around the country. so by inviting each organization up to the stage, we desire to bring together all of the pro-life groups and to stand in solidarity as we stand in a unified front to build a culture of life. and now we would like to honor you at the march for life, all of you and all of the wonderful work you're doing. thank you, thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you for your life-saving mission and your invaluable work. we are better and stronger together in this fight. thank you. from the bottom of our hearts. thank you for the work that all of you do day in and day out to

make abortion unthinkable. thank you. [cheers and applause] we are most grateful. all right. now, we're almost at the part that you guys have come for which is to march. right? ok. before we march, i have a fouad miive announcements. first, if you have any trash, please drop it in the trash cans in the mall. we want to build a culture of life, even how we're treating things and to show everybody that we're respectful to the mall here. second, you can probably see that coordinating the march for life requires many resources. and that we accept that -- expect that demand to grow as we're growing into the states. to that end, anybody who would consider, we would be abun danly the -- abundantly grateful if

you give to the march of life today. text give to 73075. if you're here in person, you'll also have several opportunities along the parade route. you'll see knights of columbus with buckets and every penny counts. so thank you so much to that end for anything that you'll do to help us end abortion. [cheers and applause] please know how appreciative of your support we are. and finally, at the conclusion of the rally, please follow the directions of our marshalls who will point you in the direction of the march. there are a lot of you today, so please follow their lead so that we can all march safely to the supreme court. of course our marshals, this is a little sad, i'm sorry, our marshalls are down one very devoted never advantage -- servant this year. one of the board members, tom hogan, went tome who heaven a few weeks ago. we know that tom is looking down on us and keeping us in line.

[laughter] [cheers and applause] all right. and then to lead us in closing prayer, please join me in welcoming cissy gramlin. sissy is the senior advisor and ministry spokesperson for the billy graham evangelical association and samaritans first. and the granddaughter of billy graham, the reverend billy graham. [laughter] following sissy, we'll finish our rally together in singing "god bless america," joining us and led by matthew west. >> are you all ready to march? join me as we close with prayer. god, we thank you for blessing this nation far greater than we have ever deserved and blessing us with the freedom to gather here today to remember every precious life. lord, we know that you are the

author and creator of all life, that you've created us in your image, and we know as a nation that we have sinned and we humble ourselves before you asking for givens and we know you're a god who loves and forgives and you see us right where we are. lord, i pray for those women right now who need to know that you are there, who feel alone and who feel desperate. lord, that they will feel your love and know that there is hope in you. lord, i thank you for every individual here and every community that has fought for life in their communities. who loved on women and children and done it with grace and with truth. but, lord, we are so thankful for the men and women who fight in this city right here, fighting for life. give them the strength to do the work before them that they do not grow weary. and, lord, i pray for our current administration. i pray for our president and lawmakers. lord, we know that you and you

alone can change the hearts of men. and, lord, we pray that you change the heart, that they know that each life has value. and, jesus, we know you came into this world to be a light and that anyone who believes in you will not remain in darkness. and we pray for those who end to advocate life, that their eyes will see the light and they'll know your truth. but even in the darkest days, we know that you're sovereign, we know that you sit on your throne and we know that you will strengthen us to do the work ahead of us. but, lord, i pray for victory. this summer the supreme court, lord, to overturn roe, lord, that we would be a nation that stands before the world, that we stand for life, that we, the united states, see value in every life and that we stand for all life and we pray this in the powerful name of jesus.

amen. >> amen. [cheers and applause] >> ♪ god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her through the night with the life from above ♪♪ from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home ♪♪ [cheers and applause]

>> ♪

>> coming up this evening on c-span q&a with historian robert sutton on the secret military intelligence facility outside washington, where 3000 high-ranking nazis were interrogated during world war ii. then, from the british house of commons, prime minister's question time. after that, a former u.s. ambassador to ukraine on tensions between russia and ukraine in the future of nato. -- and the future of nato. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government.