Center for Reproductive Rights Statement on Defense Authorization Bill in the Senate

(PRESS RELEASE) Nancy Northup, president of the Center for
Reproductive Rights, issued a statement today on the expected Senate vote on
the 2011 defense authorization bill. The legislation excludes language
thatwould lift the ban on almost all abortion services at military facilities
for women who pays with their own money.  Ms. Northup had this response:



“It is great day that Congress is about to take this important step and
end discrimination of gays and lesbians in the military. We regret that unlike
the original Senate version of the bill, Congress is on the verge of once again
denying American service women full access to the reproductive healthcare that
they need.  This is a matter of fundamental fairness, of health, and of
dignity.



“While American women in the military are serving their country, they
simultaneously face the possibility that they will be unable to exercise their
constitutional right to choose an abortion if they need one.



“The U.S. government should be ensuring that all women have access to and
coverage for abortion services. The very least that Congress can do is remove
this unnecessary and discriminatory ban and allow service women to use their
own money to pay for abortion services at a military facility. Anything less is
discrimination.”