House Denies Health Care Service to Military Women

Washington, DC- Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the House's refusal to repeal a discriminatory ban that prevents military women overseas from using their own money to pay for abortion care violates the core American principles of freedom and personal responsibility. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 191-237.

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 It would have repealed the current ban that forbids servicewomen and female military dependents from using their own funds for abortion care at overseas military hospitals.

"For the 12th consecutive year, anti-choice members have bowed to the political pressure of their extremist supporters in the anti-choice movement. It is a disgrace that Congress continues to deny women, who are making such enormous sacrifices in defense of their country overseas, their constitutional right to choose," said Keenan. "I applaud Representatives Davis and Harman for their unwavering support of our servicewomen overseas. We will stand with them until Congress acts to improve military women's health care and adopts policies that reflect our pro-choice values of freedom and responsibility for all women."

Below is more information on 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.

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032