U.S. Military: International Abortion Provider?

Should military hospitals be used to save lives or to kill unborn babies? The U.S. Senate may soon take action to overturn long-standing policy by sanctioning the performance of abortions in domestic and overseas military facilities-effectively turning military hospitals and other facilities into abortion clinics. This would be the largest expansion of abortion availability since the original Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973. Overnight, your tax dollars will create 423 new abortion clinics. While much of the media attention on this bill has focused on the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” debate and now amnesty for illegal aliens, many Americans should be deeply concerned that this bill turns our military healthcare system into domestic and international abortion providers.

This past May, when the Senate Armed Services Committee considered the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) offered an amendment to end the current prohibition on performing abortions in military hospitals. If enacted, this amendment would overturn a law that has been in place since 1996, signed into law by President Clinton.

Military healthcare centers — which are dedicated to healing and caring for life — should not facilitate the taking of an innocent human life: an unborn child. Allowing abortions in military facilities will continue to strain already burdened medical personnel who are working to save the lives of our men and women in service. At a time when our nation is at war, are we really going to divert scarce personnel and resources for elective abortions?

This change in policy will also likely hurt recruitment and retention of military medical professionals–possibly driving many health care providers out of the military if they have conscience objections to performing abortion. When President Clinton allowed abortions in military facilities from 1993 to 1996, many military physicians (as well as nurses and support staff) refused to perform or assist in elective abortions. In response, the Administration hired civilians to do abortions. If the Burris amendment were enacted, not only would taxpayer funded facilities be used to support abortion on demand, but tax dollars could also be used to search, hire, and transport new personnel just so abortions could be performed.

Currently, women who wish to obtain an elective abortion travel off the military installation for an abortion. If such services are not available off the base, women are also allowed travel to another country on a military flight on a “space available” basis. While I personally oppose all elective abortions, the current system allows women to make their own choice without using tax dollars to fund abortions.

In the past, similar amendments have been offered in Congress. Since establishing the law in 1996, the House has summarily rejected all of these amendments. As recently as 2006, an amendment to allow abortions in overseas military facilities failed by a vote of 191-237. In fact, the Burris amendment is even more extreme, as it would allow abortion on domestic and overseas military bases while the 2006 amendment offered in the House applied only to overseas bases.

In light of these serious concerns, on July 14, 2010, I joined Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS), along with 178 of our colleagues in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership asking that they not allow this amendment to be included in the Defense Authorization bill. Unfortunately, it looks like the Senate may proceed with this massive expansion of taxpayer supported abortion anyway.

As radical liberal activists continue to view our military as their own petri dish for social experimentation, a policy change like the Burris amendment seriously undermines the work of our military and hurts morale in a time of war. Americans should call on Congress to reject the Burris amendment and keep our military medical system focused on healing and life rather than killing innocent unborn children.