[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 17 (Thursday, January 25, 2018)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3531-3532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01551]



[[Page 3529]]

Vol. 83

Thursday,

No. 17

January 25, 2018

Part III





The President





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Proclamation 9691--National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2018



Presidential Determination No. 2018-03 of January 23, 2018--
Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 4533(a)(5) of the 
Defense Production Act of 1950



Presidential Determination No. 2018-04 of January 23, 2018--
Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 4533(a)(5) of the 
Defense Production Act of 1950
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 83 , No. 17 / Thursday, January 25, 2018 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 3531]]

                Proclamation 9691 of January 19, 2018

                
National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2018

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Today, we focus our attention on the love and 
                protection each person, born and unborn, deserves 
                regardless of disability, gender, appearance, or 
                ethnicity. Much of the greatest suffering in our 
                Nation's history--and, indeed, our planet's history--
                has been the result of disgracefully misguided attempts 
                to dehumanize whole classes of people based on these 
                immutable characteristics. We cannot let this shameful 
                history repeat itself in new forms, and we must be 
                particularly vigilant to safeguard the most vulnerable 
                lives among us. This is why we observe National 
                Sanctity of Human Life Day: to affirm the truth that 
                all life is sacred, that every person has inherent 
                dignity and worth, and that no class of people should 
                ever be discarded as ``non-human.''

                Reverence for every human life, one of the values for 
                which our Founding Fathers fought, defines the 
                character of our Nation. Today, it moves us to promote 
                the health of pregnant mothers and their unborn 
                children. It animates our concern for single moms; the 
                elderly, the infirm, and the disabled; and orphan and 
                foster children. It compels us to address the opioid 
                epidemic and to bring aid to those who struggle with 
                mental illness. It gives us the courage to stand up for 
                the weak and the powerless. And it dispels the notion 
                that our worth depends on the extent to which we are 
                planned for or wanted.

                Science continues to support and build the case for 
                life. Medical technologies allow us to see images of 
                the unborn children moving their newly formed fingers 
                and toes, yawning, and even smiling. Those images 
                present us with irrefutable evidence that babies are 
                growing within their mothers' wombs--precious, unique 
                lives, each deserving a future filled with promise and 
                hope. We can also now operate on babies in utero to 
                stave off life-threatening diseases. These important 
                medical advances give us an even greater appreciation 
                for the humanity of the unborn.

                Today, citizens throughout our great country are 
                working for the cause of life and fighting for the 
                unborn, driven by love and supported by both science 
                and philosophy. These compassionate Americans are 
                volunteers who assist women through difficult 
                pregnancies, facilitate adoptions, and offer hope to 
                those considering or recovering from abortions. They 
                are medical providers who, often at the risk of their 
                livelihood, conscientiously refuse to participate in 
                abortions. And they are legislators who support health 
                and safety standards, informed consent, parental 
                notification, and bans on late-term abortions, when 
                babies can feel pain. These undeterred warriors, many 
                of whom travel to Washington, DC, every year for the 
                March for Life, are changing hearts and saving lives 
                through their passionate defense of and loving care for 
                all human lives. Thankfully, the number of abortions, 
                which has been in steady decline since 1980, is now at 
                a historic low. Though the fight to protect life is not 
                yet over, we commit to advocating each day for all who 
                cannot speak for themselves.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim January 22, 2018,

[[Page 3532]]

                as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call on all 
                Americans to reflect on the value of our lives; to 
                respond to others in keeping with their inherent 
                dignity; to act compassionately to those with 
                disabilities, infirmities, or frailties; to look beyond 
                external factors that might separate us; and to embrace 
                the common humanity that unites us.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                second.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2018-01551
Filed 1-24-18; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P