This past week, we marked the anniversary of a deadly day in American history that has resulted in the loss of millions of innocent American lives: the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Since January, 22 1973, more than 60 million unborn children have been lost to the scourge of abortion.

Today, we honor and remember those lives, as well as those who have been hurt by the pains of abortion.

In a normal year, tens of thousands of Americans would be marching down Constitution Avenue this Friday to do so. This year, as with so many things, the March for Life will instead be virtual.

But nonetheless, Americans will continue to march – whether virtually, or in person where they can.

The theme of this year’s March is “Together Strong: Life Unites.”

A fitting theme following a year rife with division, violence, and loss. Now more than ever, we must unite as a nation, turning with hope towards the future.

Hope that our nation will heal.

Hope that justice will prevail.

Hope that the grievous act of abortion will be forsaken.

And, given our country’s history – in which we have stubbornly made mistakes, but thankfully, come around in the end – there is much reason for hope.

But we cannot heal and unite if we do not honor and respect all of the American people – born, and unborn.

Through our laws and with our lives, we ought to affirm the truth that the lives of both the mother and the baby matter…. and that healthcare should heal, protect, and preserve both those lives.

That is why I introduced legislation this week to help our laws and taxpayer dollars affirm that truth.

Through my bill, the Abortion is Not Healthcare Act, we have the chance to stop the tax deductibility of abortions, which are currently categorized as “medical care” by the IRS.

Because we must be serious: whatever else it may be, of course elective abortion is not health care. That’s why physicians literally take an oath “to do no harm.”

The government should not offer tax benefits for a procedure that kills hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year.

And we also have the chance to permanently stop the use of American foreign aid money from funding or promoting abortions overseas; perpetuating violence against women and children abroad – especially, baby girls.

The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act will save countless lives across the globe, and affirms the truth that the lives of all unborn children – regardless of where they are from – have dignity and worth.

As the lyrics of a children’s song in my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, say about each one of us, “I am a child of God.”

We are one human family, all children of God… these littlest among us, too, who cannot yet sing for themselves. But they will soon. They will soon.