President Bush's Remarks to the March for Llife

January 23, 2006

THE PRESIDENT:

"The strong have a duty to protect the weak."

"I appreciate so very much your work toward building a culture of life -a culture that will protect the most innocent among us and the voiceless. We are working to promote a culture of life, to promote compassion for women and their unborn babies. We know -- we know that in a culture that does not protect the most dependent, the handicapped, the elderly, the unloved, or simply inconvenient become increasingly vulnerable."

"The America of our dreams, where every child is welcomed in law -- in life, and protected in law may still be some ways away.... We're making progress in Washington. I've been working with members of the Congress to pass good, solid legislation that protects the vulnerable and promotes the culture of life. I signed into law a ban on partial birth abortion. (Applause.) Infants who are born despite an attempted abortion are now protected by law. (Applause.) So are nurses and doctors who refused to be any part of an abortion. (Applause.) And prosecutors can now charge those who harm or kill a pregnant woman with harming or killing her unborn child." (Applause.)

"We're also moving ahead in terms of medicine and research to make sure that the gifts of science are consistent with our highest values of freedom, equality, family, and human dignity. We will not sanction the creation of life only to destroy it." (Applause.)

" ..... this progress is a tribute to your perseverance and to the prayers of the people. I want to thank you, especially, for the civil way that you have engaged one of America's most contentious issues. I encourage you to take heart from our achievements, because a true culture of life cannot be sustained solely by changing laws. We need, most of all, to change hearts.... persuading increasing numbers of our fellow citizens of the rightness of our cause. "

" ..... a movement that appeals to the noblest and most generous instincts of our fellow Americans -- and that is based on a sacred promise enshrined in our founding document that this movement will not fail."(Applause.)

The previous remarks are excerpts fromPresident Bush's remarks to the March for Life demonstration on Jan. 23, 2006.