As activists flooded into Washington, D.C., Thursday for the annual March For Life, congressional Republicans decided not to vote on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act despite previously committing to do so. The backtracking disappointed many of the marchers. However, most remained hopeful the bill would eventually come back up for a vote and pass the Republican-controlled House and Senate.
"I'm so disappointed in the GOP," a woman marching down Constitution Avenue said. "They say they're for life, yet they have an opportunity to do something--and they don't."
"I don't know where their heart is. Where's their heart?"
Father Denis Wilde of Priests for Life echoed the marcher's sentiment saying, "I'm very disappointed in that. I thought there would be more hope on that," he said of the bill.
The March For Life is the largest annual gathering of pro-life activists in the country. On the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, hundreds of thousands of marchers gather on the National Mall and walk down Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court in order to protest the decision. A youth rally and mass is held at the 18,000-seat Verizon Center in the lead-up to march.
This year, the Republican party had scheduled a vote on a ban on abortions 20 weeks after conception to coincide with the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the March For Life. However, division among House Republicans over a provision requiring women seeking a rape exception to the ban provide a police report as evidence of their rape. Though similar language had been included in bill which passed the House last year, opposition to the provision proved strong enough to derail the vote.
"Wow. I mean, that's sad," another marcher and mother of children conceived through rape said of the GOP's decision to drop the abortion bill. "A life is a life way before 20 weeks."
"It's very disappointing," a young seminarian from the Mount St. Mary's University said. "I love America and I have faith in our congressmen."
"I believe in their virtue and that they're still human and possess that deep in their hearts but when things like this happen, it's a good reminder that my ultimate faith is in Jesus Christ and especially in his blessed mother Mary who will save everything," he said. "So I have complete faith in that no matter what the outcome is of something like this."
Despite their disappointment, many pro-life leaders and activists were confident the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act will not be tabled for long.
"I think we're going to see it get put back on the calendar and I'm looking forward to it passing," Family Research Council Executive Director Josh Duggar said. American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists executive director Dr. Donna Harrison agreed, saying, "I think the Pain Capable Unborn Child Act will eventually be voted on."
"Of course, you know, it's very disappointing," Concerned Women of America President Penny Nance said. "But I've had various discussions with House leadership and have been reassured over and over again that we will get a vote on this, that this is going to happen."
"We're going to get this done and, you know, politics is sausage making: The end result is good, but you don't want to watch the process. It's messy."
Regardless of how the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act proceeds the marches were resilient.
"There's temptation to go into despair a little bit when you see your Congress not seeing human beings as human beings," another Mount Saint Mary's seminarian said. "But it gives us hope to know that Jesus is here with us and knows where we're at and he's going to get us through this."
"So, we'll keep marching, we'll keep defending our place here for the ones that can't defend their place."