Local activists will join pro-life advocates from around the country in Washington, D.C. today to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision with a rally and political lobbying.

President Bush is expected to speak by telephone to an expected 65,000 pro-life advocates to start the 17th annual March for Life.

"We just hope that each year, that will be the final march," said Kathleen Hanrahan, president of Penn State Students for Life. Hanrahan said the day combined an element of mourning with political activism.

About 45 members of the campus pro-life organization will be attending today's rally at the White House and marching to the Capitol building, Hanrahan said.

Other area pro-life groups will be attending interfaith prayer breakfasts around the state to commemorate the day, said Garnett Biviano, president of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation.

Biviano said this year's activities and the march in particular are especially important because of last summer's Supreme Court ruling on Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services. This decision gave state legislatures more power to enact abortion regulations.

Pennsylvania became one of the first states to enact stricter abortion regulations after the Webster decision when the Pennsylvania 1989 Abortion Control Act went into effect last week.

"Roe is crumbling and will continue to crumble," Biviano said.

The day will begin with a rally behind the White House which will include speeches by Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, two other pro-life congressmen and leaders of pro-life organizations around the country.

After the rally demonstrators will march from Constitution Avenue to the Capitol Building. Then, rally members will break into groups and visit their regional congressional representative to demand a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion, said Bea Becker, March for Life vice president.

March for Life is the organization which organizes this event each year, Becker said.

Some pro-choice advocates have criticized the march's tone.

"I don't like the fact that they turn it into a day of mourning when actually it's a day of celebration," said Chandra Lillie, co- director for Penn State Pro-Choice.

Lillie said the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade should be a day to celebrate for the women whose lives have been saved by safe and legal abortions.