House keeps abortion ban

From the Baptist Press:

The House of Representatives has rejected an attempt to remove the ban on most abortions in overseas U.S. military hospitals.

The House voted 233-194 against an amendment that would have permitted abortions for all reasons in medical facilities operated by the armed services in foreign countries. There are exceptions to the ban that permit abortions in cases in which the mother’s life is threatened and in which pregnancy results from rape or incest.

Thirty Democrats joined with 203 Republicans to defeat the amendment May 25. The representatives who voted for the measure consisted of 171 Democrats, 22 Republicans and an independent.

The vote kept intact a policy that has been in effect most of the time since 1988, when it was first instituted under President Reagan. President Clinton rescinded the rule quickly after he took office in 1993, but Congress restored it in 1996.

During that period when Clinton rescinded the ban, few if any abortions occurred because no military doctors would perform them. Oblivious to the egg on his face, Clinton forced Congress to override him and restore the ban.

Posted by Danny Carlton at May 31, 2005 09:03 AM