Mike Levin: “we require an awful lot from our service men and women. First of all, we urge them to volunteer to serve in the…”

“we require an awful lot from our service men and women. First of all, we urge them to volunteer to serve in the military. Then, we send them all over the world to serve our Nation's interests. When we ask them to serve in foreign countries, the least we can do is ensure that they receive medical care equal to what they would receive in the United States. Servicewomen and dependents who are fortunate enough to be stationed in the United States and who make the difficult decision to have an abortion can, at their own expense, get a legal abortion performed by an English speaking doctor in a modern, safe American medical facility. Military women stationed overseas do not have the same opportunity. They can seek the permission of their commanders to return to the United States to obtain an abortion, or they can seek an abortion in foreign hospitals by foreign doctors, many of whom don't speak English, and who may have different medical standards. These choices are not acceptable. I can only imagine how difficult it would be for a female officer or enlisted person to have to go to her commander and ask for time off to travel to the United States to get an abortion. This is a very personal and difficult decision even under normal circumstances. The alternative of seeking an abortion from a host nation doctor, who may or may not be trained to U.S. standards, in a foreign facility, where the staff may not even speak English, is an equally unacceptable alternative.”