YardleyLabs
07-14-2010, 01:22 PM
The Defense Authorization Act is coming up for a vote and, with it, and amendment submitted by Senator Burris and approved by the Armed Forces Committee that would repeal a ban prohibiting military hospitals from providing abortion services even for soldiers located in overseas areas where they may not be able to obtain such services from local facilities.
Abortion services had been banned by legal provisions that prohibited the use of Federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. Under Clinton, procedures were modified to allow abortions in overseas military hospitals if the soldier paid the full cost of care so that Federal funds would not be involved. This was repealed by the Republican controlled Congress in 1995 with an explicit ban on abortions from being performed for military personnel stationed overseas regardless of who paid.
Given that medical alternatives may not be available for quality or security reasons, this ban has the effect of making a procedure that is legal in the U.S., illegal for military personnel serving overseas. Is this discrimination against the military? I understand those who oppose abortion in all cases except where needed to protect the life of the mother. However, if abortions are legal, I do not understand having a law that effectively prevents soldiers in service of our country from having access to the same rights. This issue s not relevant for military hospitals in the US, since a soldiers can easily go to a private clinic. The same cannot be said for a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan. What d you think?
The text of Burris' memo in support of this bill is shown below:
In December of 1995, 10 U.S.C. 1093(b) was passed into law under the FY1996 Defense Department appropriation and authorization bills, creating a statute that prohibits service members and their families from choosing to receive women’s’ reproductive services at Department of Defense
facilities.
"My amendment to the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act would repeal 10 U.S.C. 1093(b) and allow service members and their dependents to access reproductive procedures at Department of Defense facilities by paying for these services out of their own pocket. It is important to stress that this amendment would not lift the ban currently prohibiting the use of Department of Defense funds to pay for abortion procedures, nor would this amendment repeal the “conscience clause”, which permits medical service providers to refuse to perform abortion procedures.
Currently, more than 100,000 servicemembers and their dependents live on military bases overseas and rely on military hospitals for their health care. This ban prevents women from exercising their legally-protected right to choose simply because they are stationed overseas. Among the problems
that our servicemembers and the dependents face:
Local facilities may be substandard, unsafe, or lacking trained professionals – even in countries were abortion is legal
Access to such services can be severely restricted, especially at U.S. military bases in remote locations
U.S. military personnel may be serving in areas under active hostilities, making it dangerous for them to leave base
As a member of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, I have chosen to stand up for the rights and health of our brave service members and am proud to sponsor the Burris Amendment."
Abortion services had been banned by legal provisions that prohibited the use of Federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. Under Clinton, procedures were modified to allow abortions in overseas military hospitals if the soldier paid the full cost of care so that Federal funds would not be involved. This was repealed by the Republican controlled Congress in 1995 with an explicit ban on abortions from being performed for military personnel stationed overseas regardless of who paid.
Given that medical alternatives may not be available for quality or security reasons, this ban has the effect of making a procedure that is legal in the U.S., illegal for military personnel serving overseas. Is this discrimination against the military? I understand those who oppose abortion in all cases except where needed to protect the life of the mother. However, if abortions are legal, I do not understand having a law that effectively prevents soldiers in service of our country from having access to the same rights. This issue s not relevant for military hospitals in the US, since a soldiers can easily go to a private clinic. The same cannot be said for a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan. What d you think?
The text of Burris' memo in support of this bill is shown below:
In December of 1995, 10 U.S.C. 1093(b) was passed into law under the FY1996 Defense Department appropriation and authorization bills, creating a statute that prohibits service members and their families from choosing to receive women’s’ reproductive services at Department of Defense
facilities.
"My amendment to the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act would repeal 10 U.S.C. 1093(b) and allow service members and their dependents to access reproductive procedures at Department of Defense facilities by paying for these services out of their own pocket. It is important to stress that this amendment would not lift the ban currently prohibiting the use of Department of Defense funds to pay for abortion procedures, nor would this amendment repeal the “conscience clause”, which permits medical service providers to refuse to perform abortion procedures.
Currently, more than 100,000 servicemembers and their dependents live on military bases overseas and rely on military hospitals for their health care. This ban prevents women from exercising their legally-protected right to choose simply because they are stationed overseas. Among the problems
that our servicemembers and the dependents face:
Local facilities may be substandard, unsafe, or lacking trained professionals – even in countries were abortion is legal
Access to such services can be severely restricted, especially at U.S. military bases in remote locations
U.S. military personnel may be serving in areas under active hostilities, making it dangerous for them to leave base
As a member of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee, I have chosen to stand up for the rights and health of our brave service members and am proud to sponsor the Burris Amendment."