Dannenfelser: "The Obama Administration and Congress are on a collision course with public opinion and they pass this bill with abortion funding at their own peril."

Contact: Kerry Brown, Susan B. Anthony List, 703-470-1926, kbrown@sba-list.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, the Susan B. Anthony List warned of Election Day consequences if the Senate votes to advance the Defense Authorization Bill, which includes the Burris Amendment allowing elective abortions to be performed in taxpayer-funded domestic and international military bases.

"The Senate version of the Defense Authorization Bill would turn the medical facilities of our brave troops both here at home and abroad into abortion clinics," SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said. "This bill would place an unwanted burden on military physicians. Military physicians understand better than anyone that military facilities are meant to preserve life, not destroy it. In fact, when this practice was permitted during the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 1996, military physicians refused to cooperate, causing the administration to recruit outside civilians for the job.

"Allowing abortions on military bases also violates the conscience of Americans by using their hard-earned tax dollars to fund the facilities, the procurement of additional equipment and the use of military personnel or outside doctors to perform abortions.

"Votes have consequences, and forcing this bill through Congress makes no electoral sense for Democrats looking to survive this November's mid-term elections. Democratic support for taxpayer subsidization of abortion in this bill, once again, represents a clear overstep by the Obama-Reid agenda. Despite polling showing the majority of Americans are opposed to taxpayer funding of abortion, the President and Congress continue to look for ways to fund abortion. The Obama Administration and Congress are on a collision course with public opinion and they pass this bill with abortion funding at their own peril."

In May, Sen. Roland Burris successfully added the amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill in the Armed Services Committee, seeking to allow elective abortion on domestic and international military bases. The Burris Amendment goes further than Clinton's 1993 Executive Order which only allowed abortions on international military bases. Current law prohibits the performance of abortion by Department of Defense medical personnel or in Department of Defense medical facilities except when the life of the mother is at risk or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A similar amendment to allow abortions strictly in overseas military facilities was most recently offered in the House in 2006 when it failed by a vote of 191-237.

The Susan B. Anthony List is a nationwide network of over 280,000 Americans, residing in all 50 states, dedicated to mobilizing, advancing, and representing pro-life women in politics. Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in the political process.

For further information, please contact Kerry Brown at (703) 470-1926 or kbrown@sba-list.org.