Over 100,000 pro-life Americans flocked to Washington D.C. on January 24-25 for the 47th annual March for Life rally and 13th Pro-Life Summit—and The Heritage Foundation provided  information and inspiration both days.

During the March for Life, Heritage’s Young Leaders hit the streets to share “Defend Life” buttons and laptop stickers with the thousands of students in attendance. Meanwhile, at Heritage headquarters, our experts welcomed pro-life leaders from across the country and coordinated health care briefings.

As a co-sponsor of the Pro-Life Summit, along with Alliance Defending Freedom, Live Action, and Heritage Action, Heritage President Kay C. James kicked off the event by addressing all 3,000 young attendees.

James brought the attendees in the packed ballroom to their feet not once but twice during her remarks, with one standing ovation lasting nearly a minute.

“I need you to go out in winsome and loving ways, convince your friends that loving life and protecting human life is one of the most important things we can do,” James said. She emphasized that life is a core issue of conservatism because without the right to life, the rest of our rights are meaningless. 

“We fight for access to health care and to make sure we get it exactly right, that’s important,” James said. “But what difference does it make if we have not yet confirmed the right for you to be here and live and walk and love among us? We can fight for a strong national defense, but defend what? We need to defend the right of every American to be born and live and walk and love among us.”

In addition to James, multiple Heritage experts also spoke about important issues at the summit. They included Ryan Anderson, the William E. Simon senior research fellow, who spoke about physician-assisted sucide; Emilie Kao, director of Heritage’s DeVos Center for Religion & Civil Society, who discussed the importance of adoption; and Charmaine Yoest, vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity, who addressed the topic of women, abortion, and power. 

Other speakers from Heritage included Kyle Bonnell, recruitment and job bank manager at Heritage; Kelsey Bolar, a senior writer at The Daily Signal; Melanie Israel, a research associate in the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society; and Meridian Baldacci, research assistant in Heritage's Domestic Policy Studies. 

Heritage’s sister organization, Heritage Action, was represented by Tim Chapman and Jessica Anderson, who also gave presentations. 

Learn more about Heritage’s work on the pro-life issue.