But the Symbolism!

House Speaker John Boehner just announced via twitter that the Republicans have introduced a bill to eliminate federal funding for abortions, calling the push one of their "highest priorities". So far, google news counts 141 related stories on this story. Speaker Boehner and fellow Republicans might want to brush up on their US Code however; the regulation they are attempting to pass is already enshrined in federal law. The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of any federal money disbursed as part of the Health and Human services budget from paying for elective abortions.

Perhaps the forthcoming legislation will not be redundant, but will provide restrictions that go beyond the Hyde Amendment. One place where Republicans might attempt to prevent pregnancy terminations is in military hospital facilities. The current controlling US Code on the subject reads:

[1] U.S. Code Title 10 USC Sec 1093
(a) Restriction on Use of Funds – funds available to the Department of Defense may not be used to perform abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.

(b) Restriction on Use of Facilities – No medical treatment facility or other facility of the Department of Defense may be used to perform an abortion except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term or in a case in which the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest

If the Republicans are serious about preventing any federally-funded abortions, they are putting the health women in the military at risk, who may not have access to civilian facilities. They will also endanger the lives of civilians that military doctors may treat in the field, prohibiting the US military from performing life-saving operations that build good will with the local population.