May 3, 2011

The Democratic women of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are urging their Senate colleagues to fight harder for reproductive healthcare rights in the District of Columbia.

In a May 3 letter to the Democratic women of the Senate, the CBC members said they were “deeply disappointed” when Democrats agreed last month to a 2011 continuing resolution (CR) that included language barring D.C. from using local taxpayer dollars to fund abortion services for low-income women.

The CBC members said those women were “sacrificed” for the sake of a spending deal, which was negotiated by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Sean Duffy was wrapping up a congressional delegation tour that included a stop in Afghanistan when news broke Sunday night that a U.S. Special Forces team had killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, capping a 10-year hunt for the terrorist leader deemed responsible for the deaths of nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Duffy, a freshman Republican lawmaker from Ashland, said in a statement Monday that Americans have every right to rejoice over the death of the man who had become the face of terrorism.

“The celebrations and the pride Americans feel today in their military, CIA and government for capturing the world’s most wanted terrorist are appropriate and justified,” Duffy said.