By Roger Wicker

Following this year’s March for Life, Mississippians gathered in the U.S. Senate for a hot chocolate reception hosted by my D.C. office. 

They had just walked up Constitution Avenue to the steps of the Supreme Court, braving the January cold in a powerful display of solidarity against the devastating decision delivered by Roe v. Wade more than 40 years ago.

I join these Mississippians and countless others around the country in supporting the overturn of Roe v. Wade. 

I firmly believe that life begins at conception and that innocent unborn children should not be excluded from the inalienable protections enshrined in our nation’s founding documents.  Indeed, the unborn are the most defenseless among us.

Sadly, the United States is one of only a few places in the world where abortion can be performed after 20 weeks, more than halfway through a pregnancy. 

Only seven countries – Canada, China, the Netherlands, North Korea, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam – have earned this distinction.  The claim, first reported by the Charlotte Lozier Institute in 2014, seemed so outrageous that The Washington Post wrote about it in its Fact Checker column. 

The newspaper awarded the claim its special Geppetto Checkmark for being true.

Surveys have shown that a majority of Americans support ending late-term abortions. 

I am hopeful that the Senate will pass an important piece of legislation that could – at the very least – remove the United States from the company of North Korea and China when it comes to abortion. 

Unborn children can feel pain at 20 weeks. 

The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” which I have cosponsored, would make it illegal to perform an abortion when an unborn child has reached 20 weeks or older, except in cases of rape, incest against a minor, or when the mother’s life is threatened.

Protecting the sanctity of life has always been part of my work on behalf of Mississippians, both in the state legislature and in Washington. 

This Congress, I have introduced legislation to prevent taxpayer dollars from ever going toward abortions, cosponsored legislation defending the right to life at conception, and repeatedly supported efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. 

I am encouraged by President Trump’s commitment to protecting the unborn, demonstrated by his executive action last year to reinstate the Mexico City Policy.  This policy bans the use of taxpayer dollars for international groups that perform or support abortions.

Just a few days ago, we recognized National Religious Freedom Day, celebrating our nation’s founding constitutional protections regarding the free practice of religion.

For many, the right to life stems from deeply held moral and religious beliefs. As citizens, we can speak out on the issues we believe in without fear of persecution.

I am thankful so many Americans have chosen to exercise this freedom on behalf of the unborn since the March for Life began 45 years ago.  These moments are a shining display of our liberty and a reminder to guard it.