WASHINGTON -- Speakers at the Jan. 22 kickoff rally for the 30th annual March for Life expressed optimism that the current Republican-dominated Congress and White House could change abortion laws in this country.

"For eight years, the folks at the White House blocked us at every turn. But they've moved on and we have a friend in George Bush," said Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, a Catholic. He urged the crowd braving cold temperatures at the foot of the Washington Monument to "not let up" and "never surrender."

More than 30 Catholic bishops were on stage for the rally, including Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. The bishop also gave an extended interview to a reporter from Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua delivered a message from Pope John Paul II to the crowd, telling them that "Christians were called to affirm the sacredness of life at all its stages."

Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered the closing prayer, in which he called abortion a "sin against God and against man" and prayed that women "tempted by abortion" would receive "our love and respect" and that all children would gain our "protection and care."

The hour-and-a-half rally began with a phone call from President Bush, who was in St. Louis. He told the tens of thousands protesting the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions legalizing abortion that he admired their perseverance and "devotion to the cause of life."

Bush told the crowd, most of whom were bundled in winter coats and gloves and holding aloft placards with messages such as "Defend Life" and "Women Deserve Better Than Abortion," that the basic freedoms of American civilization -- the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- must be defended.

He said respect for the right to life calls people to "protect the lives of innocent children waiting to be born" and to "defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects."

"You and I share a commitment to building a culture of life in America, and we are making progress," he said, adding that he hoped the Senate would pass a bill this year banning partial-birth abortion, which he would sign.

Several speakers at the rally stressed the significance of passing a ban on partial-birth abortion, including Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who became a Catholic last year.

Brownback said the partial-birth abortion ban would "get through the House and Senate this year" and that Congress and the White House also must ban human cloning.

The senator encouraged the crowd to see this time as an opportunity to "replace the culture of death with the culture of life."

During the course of the speeches, stacks of small white coffins remained at both sides of the stage to symbolize the millions of abortions performed since the 1973 Supreme Court decisions legalizing abortion. As a bell tolled, Nellie Gray, the rally's organizer for the past 30 years, called out each year that abortions have been performed since 1973.

Gray addressed the crowds of clustered groups, standing under a pale blue sky and braving much colder conditions than at previous rallies, telling them they were gathered to "reverse Roe vs. Wade!"

The crowd, including many youth groups and parishes, seemed optimistic that they would not have to wait too much longer to see some changes in abortion laws.

When Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., encouraged them that the pro-life movement would still be strong even if it meant marching for another 30 years, many in the crowd said "no," optimistic that it wouldn't take that long.

Several speakers also indicated that the perseverance of the pro-life movement could soon be rewarded. Bob Dornan, a former congressman from California, likened the current climate to "a new day" where those who oppose abortions "will prevail."

His confidence stemmed from what he described as a "pro-life Senate and House," which he said previous administrations lacked.

But not all speakers seemed to think that the current Congress would be able to immediately change abortion laws.

Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Pa., who said she came to the rally with fellow parishioners from St. Alexis Parish in Wexford, Pa., acknowledged that the pro-life movement has "a lot of work ahead."

"We're making progress, but we're making progress slower than we would like," she said.

Hart said the important thing for people to do beyond the march and rally was to work to "change the hearts and minds of our friends and neighbors."

Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., agreed, pointing out that the pro-life movement's "collective goals will not be achieved just by changing laws, but by changing hearts."

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who is co-chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, called the past 30 years of laws favoring abortion as "this present darkness" which could "only be overcome by persevering prayer, frequent fasting and hard work."

Many speakers also pointed to the need for judges who support the pro-life cause.