But House and President Bush Support Ban
Senate Votes to Repeal Ban on Abortion on Military Bases

Shown below is the June 21, 2002, roll call by which the U.S. Senate approved an amendment to authorize the performance of abortion on demand at U.S. military facilities in the U.S. and overseas.

Military medical facilities serve U.S. uniformed personnel and their dependents. Current law prohibits abortions from being performed in these facilities, whether overseas or within the United States, except to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.

During consideration of the Fiscal Year 2003 defense authorization bill (S. 2514), Senators Patty Murray (D-Wa.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Me.) offered an amendment to repeal the pro-life law. If enacted, the result would be to permit the Department of Defense to provide abortion on demand at military medical facilities, with the direct costs paid by the clients.

NRLC opposed the Murray-Snowe Amendment, but it passed, 52-40 (Senate Roll Call No. 160).

The Murray-Snowe Amendment was supported by 46 Democratic senators, one independent, and five Republicans. It was opposed by two Democrats and 38 Republicans. Eight senators missed the vote, of whom seven opposed the amendment, but their presence would not have changed the outcome.

Fortunately, the House of Representatives had already rejected a similar amendment to the defense authorization bill on May 9 (see roll call, pages 24-25). Therefore, the issue must be resolved in an upcoming House-Senate conference committee. President Bush opposes repeal of the current pro-life policy.

NRLC's June 20 letter to senators in opposition to the Murray- Snowe Amendment is posted at www.nrlc.org/Federal/OtherIssues/snoweamend0620. html.

KEY

X Pro-life vote

O Pro-abortion vote

? Absent

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

Alaska
Stevens (R) O
Murkowski (R) X

Arizona
McCain (R) X
Kyl (R) X

Arkansas
Hutchinson, T. (R) X
Lincoln (D) O

California
Feinstein (D) O
Boxer (D) O

Colorado
Campbell, B. (R) X
Allard (R) X

Connecticut
Dodd (D) O
Lieberman (D) O

Delaware
Biden (D) O
Carper (D) O

Florida
Graham, B. (D) O
Nelson, Bill (D) O

Georgia
Cleland (D) O
Miller (D) ?

Hawaii
Inouye (D) O
Akaka (D) O

Idaho
Craig (R) ?
Crapo (R) X

Illinois
Durbin (D) O
Fitzgerald (R) X

Indiana
Lugar (R) X
Bayh (D) O

Iowa
Grassley (R) X
Harkin (D) O

Kansas
Brownback (R) X
Roberts (R) X

Kentucky
McConnell (R) X
Bunning (R) X

Louisiana
Breaux (D) ?
Landrieu (D) O

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

Maryland
Sarbanes (D) O
Mikulski (D) O

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

Michigan
Levin, C. (D) O
Stabenow (D) O

Minnesota
Wellstone (D) O
Dayton (D) O

Mississippi
Cochran (R) X
Lott (R) X

Missouri
Bond (R) X
Carnahan (D) O

Montana
Baucus, M. (D) O
Burns (R) X

Nebraska
Hagel (R) X
Nelson, Ben (D) X

Nevada
Reid, H. (D) X
Ensign (R) X

New Hampshire
Smith, R.C. (R) X
Gregg (R) X

New Jersey
Torricelli (D) O
Corzine (D) O

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

New York
Schumer (D) O
Clinton (D) O

North Carolina
Helms (R) ?
Edwards, J. (D) O

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

Ohio
DeWine (R) X
Voinovich (R) X

Oklahoma
Nickles (R) X
Inhofe (R) X

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

Pennsylvania
Specter (R) O
Santorum (R) ?

Rhode Island
Reed, J. (D) O
Chafee, Lincoln (R) O

South Carolina
Thurmond, S. (R) X
Hollings (D) O

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

Tennessee
Thompson, F. (R) X
Frist (R) X

Texas
Gramm, P. (R) ?
Hutchison, K. (R) ?

Utah
Hatch (R) X
Bennett (R) X

Vermont
Leahy (D) O
Jeffords (I) O

Virginia
Warner (R) X
Allen (R) X

Washington
Murray (D) O
Cantwell (D) O

West Virginia
Byrd (D) O
Rockefeller (D) O

Wisconsin
Kohl (D) O
Feingold (D) O

Wyoming
Thomas, C. (R) ?
Enzi (R) X