    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [January 22, 2003]
    [Pages 72-73]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Telephone Remarks to the March for Life
    January 22, 2003

        The President. Well, thank you very much, Nellie. I want to thank you very much for including me in the
    celebration of life. I want to thank the good folks there on the Mall
    today. I'm calling you from St. Louis, Missouri. I know there are some
    from Missouri there, and like many others, you've made great sacrifices
    to come to Washington today. A lot of you have ridden buses all night
    long, and I know you're braving the cold. And I admire your
    perseverance, and I admire your devotion to the cause of life.
        You all are gathered today on the National Mall, which is not far
    from the monument to Thomas Jefferson who, as you all know, is the
    author of our Declaration of Independence. And the March for Life
    upholds the self-evident truth of that Declaration, that all are created
    equal, given the unalienable rights of life and liberty and the pursuit
    of happiness. And that principle of America needs defenders in every
    place and every generation.
        In our time, respect for the right to life calls us to defend the
    sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, and all
    who are weak and vulnerable. And this self-evident truth calls us to
    value and to protect the lives of innocent children waiting to be born.
        You and I share a commitment to building a culture of life in
    America, and we're making progress. As the President, I have

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    signed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, opposed the destruction of
    embryos for stem cell research, and refused to spend taxpayer money on
    international programs that promote abortion overseas.
        Ms. Gray. Thank you.
        The President. My administration is challenging the Oregon law that
    permits physician-assisted suicide.
        Ms. Gray. Thank you.
        The President. We support abstinence education and crisis pregnancy
    programs and parental notification laws. We offer compassionate
    alternatives to abortion by promoting adoption and extending State
    health care coverage for unborn children.
        My hope is that the United States Congress will pass a bill this
    year banning partial-birth abortion, which I will sign. Partial-birth
    abortion is an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity. I also
    urge the Congress to ban all human cloning. We must not create life to
    destroy life. Human beings are not research material to be used in a
    cruel and reckless experiment.
        For 30 years, the March for Life has been sustained by constant
    prayer and abiding hope that one day, every child will be born into a
    family that loves that child and a nation that protects that child. And
    when that day arrives, you will have the gratitude of millions,
    especially those who know the gift of life because you cared and you
    kept faith. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless
    America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:05 a.m. from the JS Logistics company in
    St. Louis, MO, to march participants on the National Mall in Washington,
    DC. In his remarks, he referred to Nellie J. Gray, president, March for
    Life Education and Defense Fund. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.