Center for Reproductive Rights Statement on the Passing of Sen. Frank Lautenberg

(PRESS RELEASE) The Center for Reproductive Rights issued the following statement on the recent passing of Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).   Said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:   “We are deeply saddened to hear of Sen. Lautenberg’s passing. He was a great friend to reproductive rights and took historic steps to help advance women’s health care, particularly in his co-sponsorship of legislation to end the discriminatory policies prohibiting women serving in the military and the Peace Corps from receiving abortion coverage in the cases of rape, life endangerment of the woman, and incest.   “Over his nearly 30 years serving in Congress, Sen. Lautenberg had one of the most consistent records of standing up for women’s constitutionally protected reproductive rights, and he will be greatly missed. We send our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”   In addition to co-sponsoring bills to improve abortion services for women in the military and the Peace Corps, Sen. Lautenberg’s key legislative advocacy for women’s health also includes co-introducing the Global Democracy Promotion Act with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to rescind the Global Gag Rule, and the Access to Birth Control Act with Sen. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) to protect a woman’s fundamental right of access to legal contraception.