Arriving more than an hour late, Vice President Mike Pence drew an enthusiastic, at times even raucous response as he congratulated Focus on the Family for its 40th anniversary, saying, “You’ve been a force for good in America for 40 years.”

Pence told the crowded main chapel that he’d personally been involved with Focus since his children were small. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the country,” he called.

One of the biggest eruptions came when he spoke of the pending Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“That is when we are going to defund Planned Parenthood once and for all,” he enthused, as the crowd rose to its feet with whistles and loud applause.

Pence also called on those assembled to pray for America “in these challenging times.”

He promised those gathered that Focus on the Family “has an unwavering ally in President Donald Trump.”