Democrats Vote for Publicly-Funded Abortion in Military Hospitals

Speaking of publicly funded abortions, the Party-of-Death controlled Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to allow publicly funded abortion in military hospitals. The New York Times reports:

Plan Would Allow Abortions at Military Hospitals

"In a vote that advocates of abortion rights sought beforehand to keep quiet, the Senate Armed Services Committee passed a provision on May 27 to allow privately financed abortions at military hospitals and bases. Current law bans abortions in most cases at military facilities, even if women pay themselves, meaning they must go outside to private hospitals and clinics — an impossibility for many of the estimated 100,000 American servicewomen in foreign countries, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan."

While the paragraph describes the abortions as "privately financed" opponents of the provision quickly pointed out that that can't possibly be true:

"Opponents say that because the abortions would be performed in government facilities, taxpayer money would still help subsidize the underlying costs — the reason that Senator Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat who is opposed to abortion, voted against the amendment. 'He opposes government-provided or funded abortion,' said Jake Thompson, a spokesman."

The full 852-page Pentagon Policy Bill goes to the floor this summer. This is as good a time as any to remind the famous writer Michael Sean Winters (and other Party-of-Death supporting Catholics) of the statement he made in the Jesuit magazine America on July 14, 2009:

"To be clear: I have never voted for a Republican in my life. My mother told me my right hand would wither and fall to the ground if I did. But, if the President or my representatives in Congress support federal funding for abortion in any way, shape or form, I will never vote for them again and I might risk my right hand in the next election by voting for their opponent....Politics is the art of compromise, but on this point, there can be none."

I know exactly where you're coming from, Mr. Winters. Since 1988, I've been the only Republican in the history of my family--a great disappointment to my mother! But as you said, on this point there can be no compromise.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney