WASHINGTON (May 25, 2005)— The House of Representatives today rejected a
measure to allow elective abortions in military hospitals overseas by a
vote of 233 to 194.
"Our military hospitals have a proud and honorable tradition of saving
lives in the most threatening regions and circumstances," said Cathy
Cleaver Ruse, Esq., Director of Planning and Information for the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. "They
should not be forced into the dishonorable business of abortion."
In 1988 the Reagan Administration established a policy prohibiting
elective abortions in military hospitals. The policy was overturned by
President Clinton in one of his first official acts in 1993, but a
military survey of Army, Navy, and Air Force doctors stationed in Europe
was unable to find medical personnel in the armed services willing to
perform abortions. Congress overturned the Clinton policy in 1996 and the
House measure today was an attempt to reinstate it.
"We know from experience that military physicians and nurses do not want
to perform abortions," said Ruse. "Forcing Americans to put their military
hospitals in the service of this controversial and unnecessary procedure
is an outrage."
“Abortion is not health care. It destroys the life of a child and
represents an utter failure to address the real needs of women," said
Ruse. "We congratulate the House of Representatives for rejecting an
amendment which would have compelled our nation’s fine military hospitals
around the world to perform abortions on demand.”
The measure, an amendment to the FY 2006 National Defense Authorization
Act (H.R. 1815) offered by Rep. Susan Davis (D-Ca), was intended to strike
from existing law a longstanding ban on the performance of abortions at
military hospitals overseas. The existing ban contains exceptions for
cases where the mother’s life is endangered or where pregnancy occurred
from rape or incest.