Senate approves abortions on military bases abroad

Senate Approves Abortions on Military Bases Abroad

On June 21, by a vote of 52 to 40, the Senate passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S 2514) proposed by Sen. Patty Murray (D.-Wash.) that would end the ban on abortions on military bases abroad that has been In effect since 1996. A similar measure to overturn the ban was rejected in the House last month. [See HUMAN EVENTS rollcall, May 20, page 19.] The Bush Administration favored keeping the ban.

"All we are asking with this amendment," said Murray, "is that [servicewomen and female military dependents] have the ability to go to a military hospital-where we have health care equipment, where we have safe equipment, where we have good doctors-to pay for their own health care for which they are asking.... We are not asking for them to have taxpayer support. .. It Is common sense. We should treat our military women who are serving us as equal citizens to the women who live in the United States."

Sen. Sam Brownback (R.-Kan.) opposed the amendment, arguing that Murray's contention that taxpayer money would not be involved was erroneous. He pointed out that, even if the abortion fee itself were paid privately by the women, the money used to fund the military hospital and the medical equipment for performing abortions still would be coming from taxpayers, many of whom strongly oppose abortion.

"It is I think very harmful and wrong that we would hold America's armed services hostage to abortion politics using the coercive power of government to force American taxpayers-that is who pays for these facilities, the American taxpayers-to fund health care facilities where abortions are performed," said Brownback. "This"Would be a horrible precedent and would put many Americans In a very difficult position."

Every Democrat facing re-election this year voted to end the ban on abortions on military bases abroad-including vulnerable Senators Tim Johnson (S.D.), Jean Carnahan (Mo.) and Max Cleland (Ga.), who have otherwise tried to project a moderate image among their constituents. Also voting to allow the abortions were several Democratic senators who style themselves as "pro-life" to some extent In their home states: Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Byron Dorgan (N.D.), Evan Bayh (Ind.) and John Edwards (N.C.).

A "yes" vote for the amendment was a vote to allow abortions to be performed in taxpayer-funded military hospitals overseas. A "no" vote was a vote against using taxpayer dollars to support abortion facilities.

FOR THE AMENDMENT (52)

REPUBLICANS FOR (5): Chafee, Collins, Snowe, Specter and Stevens.

DEMOCRATS FOR (46): Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Bingaman, Boxer, Byrd, Cantwell, Carnahan, Career, Cleland, Clinton, Conrad, Corzine, Daschle, Dayton, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Edwards, Feingold, Feinstein, Graham, Harkin, Hollings, Inouye, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerry, Kohl, Landrieu, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, Mikulski, Murray, Nelson (Fla.), Reed (R.I.), Rockefeller, Sarbanes, Schumer, Stabenow, Torricelli, Wellstone and Wyden.

INDEPENDENT FOR (1): Jeffords.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT (40)

REPUBLICANS AGAINST (38): Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Bums, Campbell, Cochran, Crapo, DeWine, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchinson, Inhofe, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, McCain, McConnell, Murkowski, Nickles, Roberts, Sessions, Shelby, Smith (N.H.), Smith (Ore.), Thompson, Thurmond, Voinovich and Warner.

DEMOCRATS AGAINST (2): Nelson (Neb.) and Reid (Nev.).

NOT VOTING (8): Breaux, Craig, Gramm, Helms, Hutchison, Miller, Santorum and Thomas.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 1, 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved