WASHINGTON — Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to abortion today despite the throng of thousands that gathered in the nation’s capital for the annual March for Life.

“Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision’s guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health,” he wrote in his yearly statement on Wednesday. “We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom.”

Obama also commented that he sought to “reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children.”

“Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams,” he stated.

Obama, along with Vice President Joseph Biden, is scheduled to host a meeting today discussing sexual assault among women, and to announce the formation of the White House Task Force on Protecting Students from Sexual Assault.

The president made no remarks in regard to the thousands that had gathered in Washington to stand for the sanctity of human life during the annual March for Life. Americans from across the country bussed into the nation’s capital this week to express their support for the unborn on the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The event featured both Catholic and Christian speakers, including a number of bipartisan Congressmen, such as Republican House Minority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, Republican Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey and Democratic Representative Dan Lipinski of Illinois. Christian recording artist Matt Maher provided music for the event.

“Despite the fact that President Obama is using stealth, deception and the coercive power of the state to promote abortion violence—including new massive public funding in Obamacare for insurance plans that include abortion on demand—the pro-life movement is alive and well and making serious, significant and sustained progress,” Smith declared at the rally. “[B]y the grace of God—and because of you, your prayers and hard work—we are winning.”

While some pro-life Christians skipped the event due to its ecumenical nature, an estimated 4,000 to 4,500 attendees flocked to the National Mall for the gathering, including a significant number of youth.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting also were present at the march and surrounding events. According to Roll Call, Jim Bob was expected to join former presidential candidate Rick Santorum for a meet-and-greet earlier in the day with Santorum’s group “Patriot Voices.” Josh Duggar, the eldest of the Duggar children, was also in attendance as he serves as executive director of Family Research Council Action in Washington, D.C.

Other pro-life groups in cities across America held local marches this week, including in Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

An estimated 56 million babies have lost their lives since the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade. As previously reported, Planned Parenthood accounted for 327,166 abortions during the 2012-2013 fiscal year, just from its organization alone.

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