Senate Republicans block defense bill authorizing military abortions
UPDATE 8:25p: Per Family Research Council in an email alert this afternoon:
While this is not the end of the bill (it will return after the election) this is a major victory for the men and women who sacrificially serve our nation in uniform and their families.
4:09p: This afternoon a vote on the motion to proceed to the Dept. of Defense Authorization bill failed 56-43.
Democrat AR Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor joined a united block of Republicans (sans Lisa Murkowski, who didn’t vote) to stop the measure from moving forward. Majority Leader Harry Reid supported the bill before he voted against it (for procedural reasons).
The DOD bill includes IL Sen. Roland Burris’s amendment that would force military medical facilities both domestic and overseas to commit abortions.
This means the pro-abortion measure along with the bill has stalled.
Unfortunately, according to my source in the Senate, this fight is by no means over.
The bill contains 2 other liberal add-on amendments that could be removed as bargaining chips in an effort to pass it:
- The DREAM Act, which would allow illegal aliens under age 30 to gain American citizenship if joining the military or attending college for 2 years;
- The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which would allow homosexuals to openly serve in the military.
There is no way to know if and when Democrats will reconsider this bill, as they’ve already moved on to another.
There is also no way of knowing which amendments, if any, they’ll be willing to remove in order to get this thing passed.
The misnomered Republican Majority for Choice blogger complained:
Unfortunately, reproductive rights for women in the military have been pushed aside once again, due to partisan games surrounding ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ Although officials on both sides of the aisle are ready and willing to stand up for the protection of women, today’s procedural vote has stalled any further discussion on other aspects of the defense bill.
This is a short-term victory. But keep making your calls.
[Photo via AllGov.com]
Pro-abortion lawmakers are very shrewd in putting the (popular) DADT repeal together with the (unpopular) abortion funding. That way, they alienate pro-life supporters of DADT repeal. And when the next election comes around, nay voters will be targeted for opposing gay rights, even when their actual reason for voting no had nothing to do with DADT and everything to do with protecting the unborn.
At this point, is there any way to get separate votes on the two issues?
I just want to add that the DREAM Act included loans (that illegals dont have to pay back, so I dont know why its called a loan) but my legal resident children would have to pay back loans. So I pay the taxes AND my childrens tuition but I also have to pay for illegals to go to school.
Sorry, I know this is about abortion but that really burns me….
I thank God that this bill with it’s pro-death agenda amendment was not passed today. My family prayed that this would not pass, thank God it did not. We will keep on praying and pushing for pro-life and pro-family issues.
I heard that doctors in military hospitals are reluctant to do abortions. Let’s hope that’s true.