The Women of the Congressional Black Caucus Call on Senate Democratic Women to Defeat Unprecedented Attack on Reproductive Choice in the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the women of the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the Democratic women of the Senate alerting them to a dangerous and unprecedented bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks in the District of Columbia, a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade.  Based on legislation adopted in five states, Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) last week introduced H.R. 3803, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, continuing the Republican attacks on the reproductive health of women in the District of Columbia that started as soon as Republicans took control of the House.  The women of the CBC are so concerned that the Franks bill confirms that the D.C. abortion bills have been a stalking horse for an all-out attack on Roe and the rights of women everywhere that they have asked for a meeting with the Senate Democratic women.  “If this bill succeeds, it can only encourage anti-choice proponents in their stated goal to undo Roe step-by-step,” the letter states.

The letter points to the success of House and Senate Democrats in protecting funding for Planned Parenthood and Title X in fiscal years 2011 and 2012, but their inability to stop Republicans from re-imposing a ban on the District of Columbia’s use of its local funds for abortions for low-income women.  Now, the District of Columbia has become the vehicle and top legislative priority for the National Right to Life Committee in an escalation that the CBC women say is clearly headed for the reproductive rights of all women. The letter in its entirety can be read below.