President Donald Trump declared January 22 to be National Sanctity of Human Life Day in a proclamation issued by the White House on Tuesday. The day marks 47 years since the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade which established a constitutional right to have an abortion.
“Today, I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born,” read the proclamation.
“Every person — the born and unborn, the poor, the downcast, the disabled, the infirm, and the elderly — has inherent value. Although each journey is different, no life is without worth or is inconsequential; the rights of all people must be defended. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our Nation proudly and strongly reaffirms our commitment to protect the precious gift of life at every stage, from conception to natural death,” it read.
Citing statistics that show a decrease in the number and rate of abortions from 2007-2016 by 24 percent and 26 percent respectively, Trump said Americans should “celebrate this decline,” but said that there is “more to be done.”
“Today, I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born. I call on the American people to continue to care for women in unexpected pregnancies and to support adoption and foster care in a more meaningful way, so every child can have a loving home. And finally, I ask every citizen of this great Nation to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us, and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen,” read the message from Trump.
Promising to “continue to fight for the lives of the unborn,” Trump enumerated his pro-life policy measures:
I signed into law legislation under the Congressional Review Act that allows States and other grantees to exclude organizations that perform abortions from their Title X projects. My Administration has also issued regulations to ensure Title X family planning projects are clearly separated from those that perform, promote, or refer for abortion as a method of family planning; to protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers and organizations, including with respect to abortion; and to ensure the Federal Government does not force employers that object, based on religious belief or moral conviction, to provide insurance for contraceptives, including those they believe cause early abortions. Additionally, I have called on the Congress to act to prohibit abortions of later-term babies who can feel pain.
“Today, I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born. I call on the American people to continue to care for women in unexpected pregnancies and to support adoption and foster care in a more meaningful way, so every child can have a loving home. And finally, I ask every citizen of this great Nation to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us, and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen,” read the message from Trump.
And today we celebrate...