By Vania Leveille, Washington Legislative Office & Elayne Weiss, Washington Legislative Office at 3:01pm
Enactment of last year's National Defense Authorization Act brought about a long overdue and welcome change on the military health care front by allowing military women and dependents to receive insurance coverage for abortion in cases of rape or incest. But the work to ensure that servicewomen's reproductive health needs are met is not nearly complete.
That's why we applaud the introduction in the Senate of the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health (MARCH) for Military Women Act. Sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and 14 other stalwart supporters of our military women and families, the bill would allow servicewomen to use their own private funds to access abortion care on military treatment facilities. Earlier in the month, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced a House companion bill, cosponsored by 40 representatives.
In a recent New York Times editorial, the Times highlights the mounting trend of efforts at the state level to make access to abortion care as onerous as possible for women. At the heart of the Times' argument is an ACLU case challenging a Kansas law that prohibits insurance companies from including coverage for abortion in their comprehensive plans.
State legislatures are ground zero in the fight for civil liberties. Although they may not attract as much attention as debates in Congress or arguments in the Supreme Court, they are the source of unprecedented assaults on our most fundamental rights.
Three troubling trends of the 2011 state legislative session were:
restrictions on accessing abortion;
racial profiling bills targeting Latinos and immigrants; and
measures suppressing the right to vote.
Did your state see a battle on one of these issues? Check out this map to learn more.
This week we let you know about an exciting new ad campaign created by a coalition of retired military leaders and veterans – Stand With Servicewomen. The ads target the unfair ban on servicewomen using their insurance to pay for abortion services if they become pregnant as the result of rape.
Red state, blue state — it doesn't make a difference. The message to government is clear: Keep out of our bedrooms, our doctors’ offices, and our personal lives.
The ACLU, in conjunction with a group of retired military leaders and veterans, launched a new ad campaign today targeting the Department of Defense’s ban on servicewomen using their insurance to pay for abortion services if they become pregnant as the result of rape or incest. The ads were released as part of a coalition effort, Stand With Servicewomen, designed to raise awareness of, and ultimately end, this unfair policy.
Last week, during its markup of the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) bill, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to include a much-needed and overdue amendment to help servicewomen when they need it most. The amendment, offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), would reverse the current ban on abortion coverage for servicewomen who are the victims of rape or incest.
When the news broke a group of senior military officers, retired medical personnel and veterans called Stand With Servicewomen, immediately registered their support releasing video featuring several retired military leaders.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:53pm
Far too often, government policies tend to be at odds with reality when it comes to women's reproductive health by ignoring the services that women need most. Which is why guidelines recently issued by the Department of Human Services requiring insurance coverage for contraception and other preventive services were so welcome. After all, virtually every woman of childbearing age practices some sort of contraception at some point.
When Congress returns from their summer recess next month, you can expect it to tackle many of the urgent issues we've heard so much about in the news. Issues like the budget, patent reform and FAA legislation are sure to take center stage. Throughout the debates, and amendments and political posturing, there is an issue that you may not ever hear about: whether to eliminate a little-known ban on insurance coverage of abortion care for military women and dependents who are victims of rape and incest.
