The Pentagon’s updated policy on abortions for service members or family members has been condemned by Republicans and praised by Democrats.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the new guidance in a memo to Pentagon leaders on Thursday, which came months after the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Pentagon will cover travel and transportation expenses associated with abortions.
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var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_65552398", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1115589"} }); rn","_id":"00000183-fc5e-d791-abd3-fe5f44190000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedThe Pentagon’s decision spurred rejoicing from Democrats in Congress and criticism from Republicans.
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Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, accused the Department of Defense of having “allowed President Biden to blatantly misuse the United States Military for political purposes,” adding that it was a ploy with the midterm elections in mind.
“Yesterday’s memo from DoD, released nearly two weeks before the election, is a desperate campaign tactic that undermines the core mission of our military,” he added. “I demand answers from the Department of Defense on how this memo came to be. Taxpayer dollars meant for deterring China and other adversaries should not be squandered on campaign politics. DoD must be blocked from wasting any portion of their budget on this horrendous policy.”
Austin also directed the department to “establish additional privacy protections for reproductive health care information, including standardizing and extending the time Service members have to fulfill their obligation to notify commanders of a pregnancy to no later than 20 weeks unless specific requirements to report sooner.” The memo bars Pentagon healthcare professionals from providing health information unless there is a specific exception, for commanders to “display objectivity and discretion,” and to help healthcare providers, specifically those who “are subject to adverse action, including civil or criminal penalties or loss of license or reprimand.”
Approximately 40% of women U.S. service members no longer have access to or have limited access to abortion services where they live or are stationed currently, according to a RAND study, which published their findings last month. Roughly 80,000 of the approximately 450,000 active-duty service members serve in states that have implemented or will soon implement additional abortion restrictions.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused the White House of “using the military to advance [a] radical pro-abortion agenda,” while Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, argued that the decision is “purely anti-life.”
On the other side of the spectrum, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, (D-WA), praised the Pentagon announcement, arguing that it will “help alleviate the concerns of our servicemembers, giving them greater privacy to make highly personal health decisions and making reproductive services more accessible and affordable.”
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Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement, promised “to do everything within my power to pass legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect our service members, their families, and to codify a woman’s right to choose.”
Defense Department medical officials are permitted to perform abortions in the case of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk. That had been the case before the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and remains true.
