Democratic Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, one of the last Democrats in Congress to oppose abortion, addressed the annual March For Life on Friday.
The annual rally in Washington, D.C. has taken place every year since the Supreme Court handed down its landmark “Roe v. Wade” decision in 1973. Since 2004, Lipinski has represented Illinois’ 3rd District, which is solidly Democratic but heavily Catholic. (RELATED: REPORT: Video Catches Man Beating Christian Bloody Outside Abortion Clinic)
“Every life is sacred and needs to be protected,” Lipinski told the crowd of hundreds of thousands gathered on the National Mall. “No one is expendable, and we need to be protected.”
Lipinski has been largely ostracized from his party over his abortion views, and faced a difficult primary challenge in 2016. His previously little-known challenger received unprecedented endorsements from prominent Democrats, including fellow Illinois Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowski and Luis Gutierrez
“We don’t agree on everything,” Lipinski said, stressing the importance of a bipartisan recognition of the right to life. “We’ve got Republicans, Democrats, Independents. The pro-life movement is one of diversity.”