Thousands of evangelical conservatives packed the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines Friday for the annual Family Leadership Summit. One of the nation’s most prominent leaders in the fight for further abortion restrictions told Iowa voters they could once again help shape the country’s future.Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the end of Roe v. Wade a historic victory, crediting years of “marching, praying, electing, cajoling and converting other people’s minds.”“So many people said it was impossible. It was a credit to tireless work,” she told the crowd.She thanked Iowa conservatives, lawmakers, and Gov. Kim Reynolds for passing the state’s “heartbeat law,” which bans most abortions after about six weeks.“Over 2,000 children a year are protected under your heartbeat law,” Dannenfelser said. “Governor Reynolds, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your courage and for everyone in this room.”But Dannenfelser warned the fight isn’t over, pointing to research showing abortions have actually risen since Roe v. Wade was overturned.“Abortions in this country are up. How could this possibly be after this incredible victory? Why? It’s very simple: because abortion activists don’t respect the law,” she said. Dannenfelser told Iowans that the prevalence and accessibility of abortion medication and the ability to travel across state lines to access abortion are driving the increase.In an interview with KCCI Thursday, Dannenfelser made the case that Iowans have a special role to play as future presidential candidates start coming to the state ahead of 2028.“You need national leaders to be addressing the problem of the pills undermining the sovereignty of the states, and we also need as a nation to recognize that the 14th Amendment is a justification for federal legislation,” she told KCCI. “We think that Iowans will be perfect communicators of that idea to candidates who come here hoping to be president.”During Friday’s summit, she urged voters not to back down.“There is no time for the ostrich strategy, we call it,” Dannenfelser said. “This is the time to go on offense … We need a new leader for a new moment, who will take us into the future and protect and preserve our victories and our children.”She ended her speech by encouraging Iowans to use the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses to demand that future candidates “stand by the promises” in Republican Party platforms to “protect unborn children.”“Today, I am calling on all voters to send that clear message at this pivotal point in history,” she said. “And we can do this together.”While it’s not a presidential election year, speakers at the summit say keeping abortion at the center of Iowa’s political conversation now could help shape where the next round of presidential candidates stand when they start arriving ahead of the 2028 election.
Thousands of evangelical conservatives packed the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines Friday for the annual Family Leadership Summit. One of the nation’s most prominent leaders in the fight for further abortion restrictions told Iowa voters they could once again help shape the country’s future.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the end of Roe v. Wade a historic victory, crediting years of “marching, praying, electing, cajoling and converting other people’s minds.”
“So many people said it was impossible. It was a credit to tireless work,” she told the crowd.
She thanked Iowa conservatives, lawmakers, and Gov. Kim Reynolds for passing the state’s “heartbeat law,” which bans most abortions after about six weeks.
“Over 2,000 children a year are protected under your heartbeat law,” Dannenfelser said. “Governor Reynolds, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your courage and for everyone in this room.”
But Dannenfelser warned the fight isn’t over, pointing to research showing abortions have actually risen since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“Abortions in this country are up. How could this possibly be after this incredible victory? Why? It’s very simple: because abortion activists don’t respect the law,” she said.
Dannenfelser told Iowans that the prevalence and accessibility of abortion medication and the ability to travel across state lines to access abortion are driving the increase.
In an interview with KCCI Thursday, Dannenfelser made the case that Iowans have a special role to play as future presidential candidates start coming to the state ahead of 2028.
“You need national leaders to be addressing the problem of the pills undermining the sovereignty of the states, and we also need as a nation to recognize that the 14th Amendment is a justification for federal legislation,” she told KCCI. “We think that Iowans will be perfect communicators of that idea to candidates who come here hoping to be president.”
During Friday’s summit, she urged voters not to back down.
“There is no time for the ostrich strategy, we call it,” Dannenfelser said. “This is the time to go on offense … We need a new leader for a new moment, who will take us into the future and protect and preserve our victories and our children.”
She ended her speech by encouraging Iowans to use the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses to demand that future candidates “stand by the promises” in Republican Party platforms to “protect unborn children.”
“Today, I am calling on all voters to send that clear message at this pivotal point in history,” she said. “And we can do this together.”
While it’s not a presidential election year, speakers at the summit say keeping abortion at the center of Iowa’s political conversation now could help shape where the next round of presidential candidates stand when they start arriving ahead of the 2028 election.
