Military Hospital Abortions

Members of the House of Representatives debated an amendment to H.Res. 2100, the $291 billion fiscal year 1992 Department of Defense appropriations bill, concerning abortions conducted in U.S. military hospitals overseas. The amendment would overturn a long-standing ban on almost all abortions at U.S. military hospitals in other countries, and would allow U.S. military personnel and their dependents access to safe abortions, although federal funds would not pay for the abortion. Opponents of the amendment such as Rep. Hyde said the amendment would make military hospitals into “abortion mills,” while supporters of the amendment said U.S. service women abroad, without access to safe abortions or alternatives to abortions, would face the risk of back alley abortionists. The amendment passed in a vote of 220-208. close