Anti-abortion movement is winning: US vice president

US Vice President Mike Pence said the anti-abortion movement "is winning in America" with the electoral victory of Donald Trump and a Congress controlled by Republicans.

On Friday, Mike Pence became the first US Vice President in office to lead the "March for Life" which marches through Washington with its pro-life, anti-abortion message each year, Efe news reported.

Since the US has elected a president who defends the right to life, Pence said during his speech at the march, "life is winning in the US again".

"President Trump actually asked me to be here with you today," the Vice President said. "He asked me to thank you for your support, for your stand for life, and for your compassion for the women and children of the US."

Before the thousands of demonstrators, Pence hailed the anti-abortion measure taken by his government on its first Monday in office - an executive order banning the use of government funds to subsidize groups that promote or perform abortions abroad, while adding that the new administration "will work with the Congress to end taxpayer funding of abortion and of abortion providers" in the US.

The next victory for the movement will come next week when Trump nominates an anti-abortion Supreme Court justice to take the placed of the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

"You know, life is winning in America. And today is a celebration of that progress that we have made in this cause... We have come to an historic moment in the cause for life," Pence said, while urging demonstrators to "press on" in order "to win the hearts and minds of the rising generation."

"We will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America," he said.

Trump, soon after the march, tweeted his "full support" for the pro-life march, and recalled that Pence would be the main speaker at the demonstration.

There was unofficial talk that Trump himself would make a call to the march, but in the end it didn't happen and it was Pence who spoke in his name.

--IANS

pgh/