Coalition Letter to U.S. House of Representatives In Support of Rep. Shays' Amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington DC, 20515

Dear Representative:

We write to express our strong support for Rep. Chris Shays' amendment to the defense authorization bill that would allow for federally funded abortion care at military facilities for victims of rape or incest. Please show your support for our troops and ensure that they are able to receive the health care they need by voting in favor of this important provision.

Current law only allows federally funded abortion services at military hospitals in cases of life endangerment. However, recent reports of sexual assault from female servicemembers returning from duty in Iraq and other overseas stations demonstrate, sadly, that this policy fails to address the growing need for abortion care among women in the military. Military officials recently announced that there were 1,275 cases of sexual assault among servicemembers reported to military criminal investigators last year - a twenty-five percent increase from 2003. Other statistics from the Department of Defense indicate that between three and six percent of active-duty women in the military have been sexually assaulted.

These reports of rampant sexual assaults committed against women in the military - often by their male colleagues - are appalling. The current-law barrier to needed medical treatment adds insult to injury.

The funding ban places an undue financial burden on female servicemembers and military dependents and may make some women reluctant to seek these medical services or force them to delay the procedure for several weeks. Although legal abortion remains a very safe medical procedure, for each week it is delayed, the risk to the woman's health increases. Making matters worse, evidence shows that victims of sexual assault are most likely to be among the junior enlisted ranks - in other words, earning the lowest pay, and thus least likely to be able to afford needed medical care (such as abortion services) that the military refuses to provide.

Even the very restrictive Medicaid law provides public funding for low-income women seeking abortion services in cases of rape or incest, as well as cases of life endangerment. The Shays amendment would simply bring the Department of Defense's policy in line with current Medicaid law.

It is time for Congress to ensure that military women and dependents who are victims of rape or incest are able to access the constitutionally-protected medical services to which they are entitled. Please do so by supporting the Shays amendment.

Sincerely,

American Civil Liberties Union
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Medical Women's Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
Americans for Democratic Action
Black Women's Health Imperative
Business and Professional Women/USA
Catholics for a Free Choice
Center for Reproductive Rights
Choice USA
CommonWell Institute International, Inc.
Feminist Majority
Law Students for Choice
Legal Momentum (the new name of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund)
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Abortion Federation
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Women's Organizations
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women's Law Center
People For the American Way
Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health®
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Population Connection
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Reproductive Health Technologies Project
Republican Majority for Choice
The Alan Guttmacher Institute
The Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Miles Foundation, Inc.
The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States Union for Reform Judaism Unitarian
Universalist Association of Congregations
Women of Reform Judaism
Women's Research and Education Institute