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Abortion Posted September 11, 1995 EXPLANATION: Approximately a dozen bills relating to abortion are pending or being discussed in Congress. Many of the abortion bill seek not to ban abortion outright, but to limit access in many ways. In the first two anti-abortion measures that the House will bring up in June, funding of organization that provide abortion services would be prohibited and abortions would be banned from being performed at overseas military hospitals--even if the woman pays for the procedure. Other proposals include the withdrawal of American funds from international organizations that offer abortions, a penalty for doctors who perform late term abortion, and the elimination of the requirement that medical schools teach abortion procedures. RELEVANT COMMITTEES: The House bill (H.R. 1561), that includes a provision that denies funds to organizations that provide abortion services, was referred to the House Committee on International Relations, the House Committee on Rules, and then sent to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. STATUS: The ban on US funding of international organizations that provide abortion services, as a part of a larger foreign affairs appropriations bill, was approved by the House (222-192) on June 8, 1995. On June 15, 1995, the House approved the 1996 defense authorization bill that included the provision that bans abortions from being performed at overseas military hospitals. Both measure must now be considered by the Senate. SPONSORS: The ban of funds for international organization that provide abortion services: Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ). The ban of abortion at military hospitals overseas: Rep. Robert Dornan (R-CA). PRO: Supporters of the right to an abortion say it is a woman's right to choose whether or not to go through with a pregnancy. With respect to the ban on abortion at military hospitals, abortion rights supporters believe that servicewomen should not be denied a right they have in the United States. "Safe and legal abortion is the law of the land. It is unconscionable that we could meet here in this chamber and consider denying the thousands of servicewomen, spouses of servicewomen, and dependents who serve overseas the basic law of the United States."--Rep. Peter Torkildsen (R-MA). CON: Opponents of abortion say that abortions take the life of children and, thus, should be illegal. If not outright illegal, abortion opponents say that access should be limited and that the Federal government should not fund abortions. Furthermore, critics say that late term abortions are cruel and that medical school students should not be forced to learn abortion procedures if they have moral or religious objections to abortion. "Our defense dollars are to save lives, not to flat-line brain waves and not to snuff out little beating hearts."--Rep. Robert Dornan (R-CA). WHAT'S NEXT: Both bills that include that prohibition of funds for organization that provide abortion services and prevent abortion from being performed at overseas military hospitals have move to the Senate Committee on foreign relations. From there, the bills would move to the Senate floor.