Pro-life movement in 'strongest position' since Roe v. Wade, says SBA List president

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said that the pro-life movement is currently in its best political position since abortion was legalized nationally in 1973 due to Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election.

Dannenfelser told reporters at the National Press Club (NPC) on Wednesday that the victory means that there will be a "perfect lineup" in place to pass common-sense abortion legislation as well as measures to defund Planned Parenthood without worrying that it would be vetoed by the president, The Christian Post reported.

"We are poised to make the biggest legislative advances for the protection of unborn children since Roe vs. Wade. What do I mean? We are teed up to defund Planned Parenthood," she said.

"The House, Senate last time made it to the president's office but had the wrong president. So of course, he didn't sign it. We have all that we need now because we have got the perfect lineup," she continued.

During his campaign, Trump penned a letter to pro-life leaders vowing that he would sign the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would outlaw late-term abortions nationwide. He also promised to make the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal taxpayer money from funding abortions, into a permanent law.

Evangelical conservative activist Richard Viguerie told reporters at the NPC that there is "no excuse" now for Republicans not to pass conservative bills because of Trump's election as well as the fact that the GOP is still in control of the House and the Senate.

Dannenfelser revealed that the movement had employed its largest grassroots ground effort to encourage over 1.2 million voters in key battleground states such as Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Missouri to vote for Trump and other pro-life candidates.

"The power of the pro-life movement on the ground has been the big sleeping giant over the last four years and it culminated in enormous win in the battleground states and states with tight Senate races," she said.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins told the media on Wednesday that Trump got the attention of evangelicals during the last debate when he gave a concise definition of late-term abortion. He added that the president-elect's promise to appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court also played a factor in gaining the support of evangelicals.