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PROTECT THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN THE US MILITARY
Wednesday May 21, 2003FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2003
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus made the following statement on the floor of the US House of Representatives in favor of protecting reproductive rights of women serving overseas in the US military:
“At a time when we are deploying our military personnel across the globe to keep us safe at home, the fact that we continue to deny our soldiers the same rights they have here at home is downright shameful.
Yes, it sounds crazy. But that is exactly what we are doing when we are denying the right of our servicewomen the full range of reproductive services that they have a legal right to here at home. This policy has been in place for nearly eight years now. It is absolutely unfair, undemocratic, and we can end it today.
Of course the reason that Congress perpetuates a discriminatory policy boils down to the politics of abortion, which once again I remind my colleagues is legal in this country and has been for decades.
Today it is more important than ever to reaffirm fundamental values upon which our democracy is founded, including the right to self-determination.
Men and women serving overseas, whose mission is to defend Americans' liberties, should not be denied the very rights they are charged with protecting simply because they are serving abroad rather than at a base in this country.
There are women serving in the military in unprecedented numbers across the globe right now. They went after the terrorists in Afghanistan after the horror of September 11th. They fought our country bravely over the past few months in Iraq.
And so I challenge my colleagues who are even considering voting against this amendment to look in the eyes of a constituent who served overseas and say to them: “You can fight for me, you even can die for me, but I can’t allow you to have make your own reproductive and health decisions.”
Those who support this policy need to reevaluate why they continue to force this archaic policy on the very women we are depending on to keep our country safe and free.
This is shameful, it is unfair, it is un-American and we should be embarrassed.”
###
May 21, 2003
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO), co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus made the following statement on the floor of the US House of Representatives in favor of protecting reproductive rights of women serving overseas in the US military:
“At a time when we are deploying our military personnel across the globe to keep us safe at home, the fact that we continue to deny our soldiers the same rights they have here at home is downright shameful.
Yes, it sounds crazy. But that is exactly what we are doing when we are denying the right of our servicewomen the full range of reproductive services that they have a legal right to here at home. This policy has been in place for nearly eight years now. It is absolutely unfair, undemocratic, and we can end it today.
Of course the reason that Congress perpetuates a discriminatory policy boils down to the politics of abortion, which once again I remind my colleagues is legal in this country and has been for decades.
Today it is more important than ever to reaffirm fundamental values upon which our democracy is founded, including the right to self-determination.
Men and women serving overseas, whose mission is to defend Americans' liberties, should not be denied the very rights they are charged with protecting simply because they are serving abroad rather than at a base in this country.
There are women serving in the military in unprecedented numbers across the globe right now. They went after the terrorists in Afghanistan after the horror of September 11th. They fought our country bravely over the past few months in Iraq.
And so I challenge my colleagues who are even considering voting against this amendment to look in the eyes of a constituent who served overseas and say to them: “You can fight for me, you even can die for me, but I can’t allow you to have make your own reproductive and health decisions.”
Those who support this policy need to reevaluate why they continue to force this archaic policy on the very women we are depending on to keep our country safe and free.
This is shameful, it is unfair, it is un-American and we should be embarrassed.”
###