Perry, a frequent critic of the federal government, also bashed President Barack Obama for his administration's policy allowing federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, saying he was deeply disturbed by studies that turn "the remains of unborn children into nothing more than raw material."
Since Roe v. Wade, Perry said, "50 million children have lost their chance at life -- a tragic legacy of judicial activism and a stark reminder that our culture and our country are still in peril."
Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, has said that he will "think about" running for president. Last week, news that two of Perry's former campaign advisors had resigned from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich's campaign fueled speculation that Perry would indeed run.
Sunday's event, where Perry received a standing ovation, was a chance for him to highlight his conservative credentials outside Texas.
He talked about state legislation he recently signed into law that requires women seeking an abortion to first obtain a sonogram. He had designated the bill an emergency, putting it on the fast track during this year's legislative session.
"There is no such thing as an unwanted child in the eyes of God," said Perry, who has invited the nation's governors to Houston this summer for a prayer event.
Perry criticized Obama for overturning a policy that prevented U.S. funding of organizations that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries.
"With the stroke of a pen, abortion essentially became a U.S. foreign export," Perry said...
