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.
Just a few more votes and women in the military may finally have the same access to abortion that other women with federal health care plans are supposed to have.
![[img src]](http://rhrealitycheck.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/../../files/teaser-images/2012-05-25-jacobson-187x125.jpg)
The Senate Armed Services passed an amendment today to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would end the ban on insurance coverage of abortion care for military women and dependents who experience rape or incest.
Military servicewomen fight for our country and our rights yet are denied access to basic reproductive health care. They face shockingly high rates of sexual assault and rape, yet are denied access to legal services. We urge policymakers in 2012 to put politics aside and support the women serving our country through policies that put their needs and wellbeing first, as they do ours.
Concerned Women for America sent out a letter protesting abortion coverage for raped service women. In their estimation, since you can’t go back in time and un-rape the victim, there’s no reason to offer post-rape care to mitigate the damage.
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.
Flag officers in the United States Armed Forces have signed a letter of support for the pending Shaheen Amendment to the FY 12 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1867) that would provide servicewomen and military dependents with abortion coverage in cases of rape and incest.
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.
