On this 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we honor and celebrate US women’s legal right to abortion, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that abortion is accessible to women everywhere, and that the promise of the decision is a reality for all of us.
In an outrageous demonstration of just how little they know about sexual violence and rape, Concerned Women for America sent Senators a letter asserting raped servicewomen should not be offered abortion care as a “cure-all.” Saying abortion is a “cure-all” for rape is like saying a band aid is a cure-all for cancer. Tell CWA that there is no “cure-all” for rape and send them a band aid.
The Shaheen Amendment currently has 12 cosponsors. It should have all 100. This amendment should be entirely non-controversial and should appeal even to those who generally oppose abortion but are sympathetic to its need in cases of rape or incest. Even the Hyde Amendment — the original ban on government coverage for abortion — allows for abortion in those circumstances.
If our brave military women are willing to protect our freedoms, we should protect their freedoms as well.
Servicewomen rely on the military for their health care, but under current policy they are left to fend for themselves if they become pregnant after being raped.
U.S. servicewomen put their lives on the line for us every day. We owe it to them to fight for their dignity and respect their choices.
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would repeal the long-standing ban on using private funds for abortion care for military women seeking an abortion on a U.S. military base.
