The amendment offered to the Defense authorization bill by Reps. Susan Davis and Jane Harman (both D-CA) would lift the current ban that forbids servicewomen and female military dependents from using their own funds for abortion care at overseas military hospitals.

"Representatives Davis and Harman should be commended for standing up for servicewomen and military spouses. Every day, we see images of women making great sacrifices in defense of their country overseas—yet Congress denies them their constitutional right to choose," said Nancy Keenan. "It’s outrageous that politicians prevent women serving in the military from using their own money to pay for essential health care services. We will continue to fight to ensure that the values of freedom and responsibility apply to women who are either serving their country overseas or are stationed as spouses at military bases."

Following is more information about the Davis-Harman amendment:

• Ending geographic discrimination. Under current law, women who have volunteered to serve their country, and female military dependents, are discriminated against and cannot exercise their legally guaranteed right to choose, simply because they are stationed overseas.
• Lifting the ban on privately funded health services. If the Davis-Harman amendment were enacted into law, the Department of Defense would not be required to pay for abortions – it would simply lift the current ban on privately funded abortion care at U.S. military facilities overseas.
• Equalizing services for military women. Military women should be able to depend on their base hospitals for all their health-care services. Repealing the current-law ban on privately funded abortion services would have allowed women access to the same range and quality of medical care available in the United States.
• Preserving personal refusal clause. If the ban is lifted, no medical providers would be forced to provide abortions. All branches of the military have provisions that permit medical personnel who have personal objections to abortion not to participate in the procedure. These provisions will be preserved if the ban is lifted.