Bowling Green Today

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Budd (R-NC), along with 25 other GOP Senators, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, expressing their strong opposition to the Department of Defense's policy of paying for travel expenses for servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions. The letter, signed by a bipartisan group of senators, emphasized the need to rescind the policy immediately.

In the letter, the senators criticized Secretary Austin for politicizing the military and breaking his promise not to do so. They pointed out that the policy of paying for abortions outside of the state in which servicemembers are stationed was issued just four days after the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The letter also highlighted that the policy extends to late-term abortions, which goes against the beliefs of many Americans who have religious and moral objections to taxpayer-funded abortions.

The senators stressed that Congress, not the Department of Defense, has the legislative power and authority to authorize the expenditure of funds for abortions. They argued that the military should only facilitate abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk.

The letter also questioned the justification provided by Secretary Austin for the policy, stating that there is no data to support the claim that the Supreme Court's decision has readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the military. The senators cited a letter from the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which revealed that only 12 women have taken advantage of the policy since its inception, further undermining the argument that the policy has significant recruiting and retention implications.

The senators concluded their letter by calling on Secretary Austin to "do the right thing" and rescind the policy immediately. They emphasized that the current situation began with the Secretary's decision to issue the policy, which politicized the military and placed the wants of a few individuals over the needs of the entire nation.

It remains to be seen how Secretary Austin will respond to the senators' demand. However, this letter highlights the growing opposition to the Department of Defense's abortion travel policy among members of Congress. This issue is likely to continue to be debated and scrutinized in the coming months.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-paul-sen-budd-send-letter-to-sec-austin-demanding-that-dod-rescind-abortion-travel-policy/