Salon.com > Frank Lautenberg

Peace Corps volunteer’s hellish abortion story

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Not long after Christine Carcano learned the man who had raped her on the street in Peru had left her pregnant and with a case of pelvic inflammatory disease, there was another unwelcome revelation: The Peace Corps could evacuate her to Washington, but it couldn't pay for her abortion -- which would cost more than a month of her salary.

Carcano decided to tell her story publicly for the first time after reading here about the Peace Corps Equity Act, introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg last week, which would modify the current policy by extending Peace Corps health coverage to abortions in case of rape. Carcano, who is now working as a research assistant on HIV/AIDS, says she wasn't particularly educated about the politics of abortion. But then, in the months after her ordeal, the headlines were full of politicians talking about abortion, "legitimate rape" and doubting rape victims could even become pregnant. "I came back to my country and I felt like other Americans were against me or against my choices," she says.

For raped Peace Corps volunteers, little choice

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Update, 7:30 p.m.: A Peace Corps spokesperson responds:

"The safety and security of Peace Corps Volunteers is our highest priority. Over the past few years, we’ve put in place a number of new, significant practices and safeguards to reduce the risks for Volunteers and ensure victims of crime receive compassionate and effective support.

The Peace Corps supports Senator Lautenberg’s bill and the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget, which extends the same rights and protections to female Peace Corps Volunteers as many of their federal colleagues by applying exceptions on abortion restrictions as outlined in the Hyde Amendment."

Original post:

As Mary Kate Shannon waited to find out if she was pregnant after being raped for the second time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, the healthcare coordinator told her her options were limited. "If I were pregnant, the Peace Corps could not pay for the abortion due to some kind of federal law," Shannon recalled in an interview with Salon. They would, however, pay for parenting classes.

"I felt betrayed," Shannon said. "I felt like it was a decision that was going to be made for me. I wasn't in a place financially where I felt like I could pay for it."

Graham: Guns, but not trials, for terror suspects

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is not pleased that the Obama administration decided to prosecute Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in civilian court, even though it would probably be illegal and counterproductive to treat the U.S. citizen as an enemy combatant.

The senator, a lawyer and reserve Air Force JAG officer himself, called for stripping Tsarnaev of his constitutional rights to due process even before the 19-year-old was captured Friday evening. "The accused perpetrators of these acts were not common criminals attempting to profit from a criminal enterprise," Graham said on Twitter on Friday. "Under the Law of War we can hold #Boston suspect as a potential enemy combatant not entitled to Miranda warnings or appointment of counsel."

Cory Booker gets his way

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:22:00 +0000

Cory Booker has gotten his way, but there was never much doubt he would. The Newark mayor and national political celebrity made it known two months ago that he wanted Frank Lautenberg’s Senate seat in 2014, and on Thursday the 89-year-old solon said publicly that he won’t seek a sixth term next year.

And that should clear the way for Booker. Sure, there’ll be a few other New Jersey Democrats who test the waters in the days and weeks ahead, but the smart money says that they – like Lautenberg – will eventually swallow their pride and step out of Booker’s way. And if they don’t, he’ll be heavily favored to beat them in the primary. Republicans will come up with a candidate too, but the Garden State GOP’s bench is thin and the state hasn’t sent a Republican to the Senate since (the very liberal) Clifford Case in 1972. Booker, with his broad popularity and limitless treasury, figures to be a reliable caretaker of that Democratic winning streak.

Lautenberg clears out for Booker

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Aging New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg announced today that he will not seek reelection in 2014, clearing the way for an expected run by Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

"I am not announcing the end of anything. I am announcing the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey," Lautenberg told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. "While I may not be seeking re-election, there is plenty of work to do before the end of this term and I'm going to keep fighting as hard as ever for the people of New Jersey in the U.S. Senate."

At age 89, Lautenberg is the oldest member of the Senate and the last World War II veteran in the upper chamber. He was widely expected to retire at the end of his term, to create an opening for the ambitious Booker, but when Booker recently publicly floated a potential bid, Lautenberg seemed to find new vigor for his job and took pot shots at Booker.

Fox’s Geraldo Rivera weighing US Senate run in NJ

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:05:00 +0000

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Geraldo Rivera, who hosts a weekend show on Fox News Channel, said Thursday he's seriously thinking about running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey.

"Buckle your seat belts!" said Rivera before announcing, on his radio show on WABC-AM in New York, that he is "truly contemplating" a Senate bid.

He said he has spoken to some people in the New Jersey GOP about a run, but he didn't say what they told him.

Rivera got a mixed response when he asked his 30,000 Twitter followers how they feel about him challenging either Sen. Frank Lautenberg or Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

At 89, Lautenberg is the oldest sitting U.S. senator. The Democrat hasn't said if he will seek re-election.

Sen. Lautenberg introduces ban on high-capacity magazines

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:03:00 +0000

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced legislation Tuesday to make it illegal to manufacture or sell magazines that contain more than 10 rounds,.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., who introduced a House companion to the bill, said in a statement that the magazines are "the common thread in every major mass shooting in recent history and taking them off the market can have a major impact on saving lives in America."

Lautenberg said in a statement:

It is clearer than ever that there is no place in our communities for military-style supersized magazines like those used inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Aurora, and in Tucson, and I will keep working to reinstate the ban on them. President Obama's bold plan to address gun violence included my common-sense proposal to ban high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and we will get to work in Congress to pass this bill and other reasonable reforms that protect children and families.

PPP Poll: Cory Booker would have good shot at a Senate seat

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:15:00 +0000

A PPP poll finds that Newark Mayor Cory Booker is a favorite among New Jersey Democrats for a potential Senate seat in 2014, should he decide to make a bid for it.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, 88, also a Democrat, is the current seat-holder, and so far has not announced his plans for 2014. Lautenberg has a 43/36 approval rating, according to PPP, and would have a big win in a hypothetical race against Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

But according to the poll, only 36 percent of Democratic primary voters in the state say he should run again, and 45 percent say he should retire. From PPP: