U.S. Senate Votes to Keep Abortion Off Military Bases

Shown below is the June 25, 1998, roll call by which the U.S. Senate rejected a proposal to allow performance of abortion on demand at U.S. military medical facilities.

The vote, a pro-life win, was 49 to 44 in favor of retaining a 1996 law that bans abortions at U.S. military medical facilities (except to save the mother's life, or in cases of rape or incest).The vote came during Senate consideration of the Department of Defense authorization bill for Fiscal Year 1999 (S. 2057). Pro- abortion Senator Patty Murray (D-Wa.) offered an amendment to repeal the 1996 pro-life law. Under Murray's amendment, military medical facilities would have provided abortion on demand to female military personnel and dependents, with direct costs paid by the clients. President Clinton favors repeal of the pro-life law. Debate in favor of the pro-life law was led by Senator Dan Coats (R-In.), with support from Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-Id.).

On this roll call (Senate roll call no. 176), 46 Republicans and three Democrats (49 total) voted in favor of retaining the current pro-life law, while six Republicans and 38 Democrats (44 total) voted to repeal the law.

The House of Representatives rejected a similar pro-abortion amendment on May 20 (see June 9 NRL News, pages 20-21). The fact that both houses have taken the same position settles the issue for this year.

KEY

X Pro-life vote (opposed to abortion at U.S. military medical facilities)

O Pro-abortion vote (in favor of abortion at U.S. military medical facilities)

? Absent or not voting

Alabama
Shelby R (R) X
Sessions J (R) X

Alaska
Stevens T (R) O
Murkowski F (R) X

Arizona
McCain J (R) X
Kyl J (R) X

Arkansas
Bumpers D (D) O
Hutchinson T (R) ?

California
Feinstein D (D) O
Boxer B (D) O

Colorado
Campbell B (R) X
Allard W (R) X

Connecticut
Dodd C (D) O
Lieberman J (D) O

Delaware
Roth W (R) ?
Biden J (D) O

Florida
Graham B (D) O
Mack C (R) X

Georgia
Coverdell P (R) X
Cleland M (D) O

Hawaii
Inouye D (D) O
Akaka D (D) ?

Idaho
Craig L (R) X
Kempthorne D (R) X

Illinois
Moseley-Braun C (D) O
Durbin R (D) O

Indiana
Lugar R (R) X
Coats D (R) X

Iowa
Grassley C (R) X
Harkin T (D) O

Kansas
Brownback S (R) X
Roberts P (R) X

Kentucky
Ford W (D) X
McConnell M (R) X

Louisiana
Breaux J (D) X
Landrieu M (D) O

Maine
Snowe O (R) O
Collins S (R) O

Maryland
Sarbanes P (D) O
Mikulski B (D) O

Massachusetts
Kennedy E (D) O
Kerry J (D) O

Michigan
Levin C (D) O
Abraham S (R) X

Minnesota
Wellstone P (D) O
Grams R (R) X

Mississippi
Cochran T (R) XLott T (R) X

Missouri
Bond C (R) X
Ashcroft J (R) X

Montana
Baucus M (D) ?
Burns C (R) X

Nebraska
Kerrey B (D) O
Hagel C (R) X

Nevada
Reid H (D) X
Bryan R (D) O

New Hampshire
Smith R (R) X
Gregg J (R) X

New Jersey
Lautenberg F (D) O
Torricelli R (D) O

New Mexico
Domenici P (R) X
Bingaman J (D) O

New York
Moynihan D (D) O
D'Amato A (R) X

North Carolina
Helms J (R) X
Faircloth L (R) X

North Dakota
Conrad K (D) O
Dorgan B (D) O

Ohio
Glenn J (D) ?
DeWine M (R) X

Oklahoma
Nickles D (R) X
Inhofe J (R) X

Oregon
Wyden R (D) O
Smith G (R) X

Pennsylvania
Specter A (R) ?
Santorum R (R) X

Rhode Island
Chafee J (R) O
Reed J (D) O

South Carolina
Thurmond S (R) X
Hollings E (D) O

South Dakota
Daschle T (D) O
Johnson T (D) O

Tennessee
Thompson F (R) X
Frist B (R) X

Texas
Gramm P (R) X
Hutchison K (R) X

Utah
Hatch O (R) X
Bennett R (R) X

Vermont
Leahy P (D) O
Jeffords J (R) O

Virginia
Warner J (R) X
Robb C (D) O

Washington
Gorton S (R) O
Murray P (D) O

West Virginia
Byrd R (D) O
Rockefeller J (D) ?

Wisconsin
Kohl H (D) O
Feingold R (D) O

Wyoming
Thomas C (R) X
Enzi M (R) X