Saturday, July 03, 2010
Female members of the armed services currently don’t have access to abortion procedures at military hospitals, including facilities overseas that provide the only source of medical care for soldiers. But legislation passed 15-12 by the Senate Armed Services Committee would change this situation by requiring military hospitals to perform abortions, although individual doctors would have the right to opt out of performing the procedures. Also, women would have to pay for the operations.
Senator Roland Burris (D-Illinois), the bill’s sponsor, says the current ban “prevents women from exercising their legally-protected right to choose simply because they are stationed overseas.”
Opponents of the measure have characterized the plan as an attempt to make any and all abortions available at military medical facilities. “Our military installations...will be able to be used for abortions, performed late term, abortions performed for purposes of sex selection, abortions performed for any reason,” said Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi). “Abortion-at-will will be the requirement for our military installations and the medical facilities on those installations.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Bill Would OK Abortion at Military Hospitals (by Bryant Jordan, Military.com)
Military Abortion Ban: Female Soldiers Not Protected by Constitution They Defend (by Kathryn Joyce, Religion Dispatches)
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