The Pentagon’s shift to cease funding for reproductive health-related travel for service members sparks new debates on the military’s role in personal healthcare rights.
At a Glance
- The Pentagon will no longer reimburse for out-of-state reproductive healthcare travel.
- A significant policy reversal following the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Critics like Sen. Elizabeth Warren call the decision politically motivated and “shameful.”
- Conservatives, like Sen. Tommy Tuberville, commend the move, citing taxpayer concerns.
- The policy was rarely used, with only 12 instances costing $40,000 from June to December 2023.
Policy Reversal Details
The Department of Defense will no longer provide reimbursement for service members who travel out-of-state for reproductive healthcare needs, including abortions and fertility treatments. This significant policy shift follows the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The original policy, which allowed travel reimbursements, was implemented to assist military personnel stationed in states where such procedures are restricted.
The October 2022 policy was rescinded by a memo signed by Jeffrey Register, Director of the Pentagon’s Human Resources Department, which did not provide additional guidance. Notably, the Defense Department has not clarified if service members can take personal time off to travel for the purpose at their own expense.
Far-left Senator Elizabeth Warren harshly criticized the policy reversal, labeling it a political move against military personnel.
“Our service members go wherever they need to in order to bravely serve our country — and because President Trump’s extremist Supreme Court overturned Roe, where they and their families are stationed quite literally dictates their access to critical reproductive care,” Warren said in a statement.
Why does she think the taxpayer should be paying for this?
Meanwhile, Senator Tommy Tuberville celebrated the policy revocation, lauding it as a step in the right direction. Tuberville had previously created a blockade against military officer promotions in protest of the reimbursement policy, underscoring his steadfast opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions.
“The Biden administration treated taxpayers like their own personal piggy bank that they could use to bankroll their woke agenda,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville stated, praising the new direction under President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth.
We’re entering a new era of common sense.