Every January, tens of thousands of Americans come to Washington, D.C., to participate in the March for Life. They come from every background and every corner of our country to testify to the truth that every human being – no matter how small or vulnerable – has infinite value, is created in the image and likeness of God, and is endowed with the right to life.

The March for Life is an occasion for hope and a powerful reminder that babies in the womb have many defenders. Of course, the march is just one small facet – one day – of the pro-life movement’s extensive work providing help and hope to moms in need. As an example, in 2024, pregnancy resource centers provided $452 million in medical care and support for moms and babies. And we can’t begin to quantify the value of pro-life Americans who take steps big and small every day to protect life and support moms.

We also have a role to play in Congress, and I am proud that last year we passed the first pro-life law in decades. Thanks to Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, this year some of the nation’s largest abortion providers – including Planned Parenthood – are prohibited from receiving federal Medicaid funding. Organizations that have turned the killing of babies into a business are cut off, and it’s already having an impact.

Recently, Republicans brought up another pro-life bill: the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. No student should have to feel she has to choose between keeping her baby and completing her education. So this bill would help ensure that pregnant college students are aware of the support available to them in their local communities and on their campuses both while they are pregnant and after giving birth. Sadly, even this bill to support moms and babies was too much for pro-abortion Democrats who blocked the bill.

For many years, pro-life Americans have persevered through an uphill battle. Our strength – our hope – is that we have the truth on our side. We know the science, we have ultrasounds and sonograms, we can see a baby in the womb waving her hands and sucking her thumb. At the core of our being, every one of us knows that an unborn baby is a human being, and every human being deserves to be protected. Abortion requires us to suppress our natural instincts and ignore our eyes. But sooner or later, the truth will win, and life will prevail.

I’m proud to be a defender of life, and I will continue working to protect the unborn, support moms and babies, and create a culture of life in our country. I’m grateful to the South Dakotans who, over the years, have joined the March for Life and who have been both witnesses and instruments in defense of the dignity of the unborn. We have the truth on our side, and I have every confidence that this truth will march on.