Dem Co-Chair of Pro-Life Caucus: ‘Without the Right to Life, No Other Rights Can Exist’

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) spoke on Jan. 22, 2013, the 40-year anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)

(CNSNews.com) – The right to life is the most important right of American citizens, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) said at a news conference to mark the 40^th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

“Yesterday, we heard from President Obama in his inauguration harkening back to our founders, who laid out our God-given, inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Lipinski, co-chairman of the House Pro-life Caucus, said on Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

“And we all know that without the right to life, no other rights can exist,” Lipinski said.

Calling that right “the foundation of our country,” Lipinski said the high court’s decision “took away that right to life for the most vulnerable amongst us.”

Lipinski joined Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chairman of the caucus, and Diane Black (R-Tenn.), who held the conference to introduce to the media women who shared their stories on how abortion resulted in years of suffering for them, from myriad problems, including depression and anxiety to eating disorders.

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One woman, Marcia Carroll, spoke about her 14-year-old daughter, who was taken across state lines by her boyfriend’s family to get an abortion even after the teenager and her family had decided to keep the child.

“As a result of this legal abortion that was completed and unbeknownst to me, my daughter suffered years of depression, intense grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares, thoughts and even attempts of suicide,” Carroll said. “Only after years of counseling are we able to cope with the affects and the consequences of that day.”