President Obama marked the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion by saying “we reaffirm its historic commitment to protect the health and reproductive freedom of women across this country and stand by its guiding principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters, and women should be able to make their own choices about their bodies and their health care.”

“Today and every day, my Administration continues our efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and minimize the need for abortion,” Obama said in a statement. “On this anniversary, we recommit ourselves to supporting women and families in the choices they make and redouble our efforts to promote safe and healthy communities.”

The March for Life is scheduled for Friday, when a snowstorm is forecast to hit Washington.

Other reaction today from Capitol Hill:

“As a U.S. senator, I am privileged to serve in a position that allows me to fight for the lives of the unborn. I will continue to fulfill my duty to fight to reduce the number of abortions. As with many of our nation’s most important debates, the battlefield of this issue is in the hearts and minds of the American electorate, and I pray that we can one day live in a society that fully cherishes every life from conception until death.” – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

“I think that it doesn’t serve children and it certainly doesn’t serve women to be forced into parenthood. And I think that this is what the public has come to understand, that safe, legal abortions are very important to the health of children, women, the institution of motherhood and family, and. ultimately, to our society. The costs to our society are tremendous when children are unwanted or parents are unprepared to take on this tremendous responsibility.” – Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)

“While our nation is divided on whether or not abortion should be legal, on one point there is a growing consensus: we must all work together to reduce the number of abortions. Recent data indicates that more and more Americans agree. This is not surprising. Cutting-edge medical technology can detect a baby’s heartbeat even earlier in a pregnancy and ultrasounds are providing an increasingly advanced look into a baby’s development.” – Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)

“Defending life, at its core, includes protecting both the unborn child and his or her mother from an irreversible injustice. We cannot know how many inventors, musicians, scientists, athletes, physicians, and entrepreneurs were never allowed to breathe their first breath of life. We cannot know the medical cures, artistic masterpieces, thriving businesses, and life-transforming charities that never came into existence. Today we mourn those 55 million souls.” – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

“Roe v. Wade is critically important to America’s legal history, because it set precedent by confirming that the constitutionally protected right to privacy includes every woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions. Unfortunately, women across this nation have continued to find that these rights are constantly being challenged. This was clearly the case with the recent presidential election, where a great deal of emphasis was placed on attacking a woman’s right to choose.” – Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.)