House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will be speaking at the 45th annual March for Life, organizers announced Wednesday. The March for Life is the nation’s largest protest against abortion and is held every year on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.
March for Life President Jeanne Mancini called it “an honor” to have Speaker Ryan address the March for Life, which takes place on January 19th.
“Speaker Ryan has been an unwavering champion for the pro-life cause since taking office, and continues to utilize his post to promote the inherent dignity of the human person at all stages of life,” she said. “We are grateful for the significant strides U.S. Congress made in the last year to protect and defend the most innocent among us, and are confident that 2018 will see even more pro-life progress with Speaker Ryan leading the charge.”
In an exclusive interview with Townhall in December, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) outlined some of Congress's pro-life accomplishments over this past year and some priorities for 2018.
Speaker Ryan will be joined at the event by some of his Congressional colleagues, including Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA), Rep. Dan Lipinski (R-IL), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Other confirmed speakers include Tim Tebow’s mother Pam Tebow, former NFL player Matt Birk with his wife Adrianna, President of the Heritage Foundation Kay Coles James, and Sisters of Life’s Sister Bethany Madonna.
The event's organizers say over one hundred thousand Americans plan to travel across the country to D.C. for the march.
During the week of the March for Life, Leader McCarthy announced Tuesday that the House will vote on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act which would strengthen existing law mandating that health care providers protect infants born alive during abortion procedures.
Vice President Mike Pence addressed last year’s March for Life and Speaker Ryan sent the March a video address with a message of encouragement.