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 denouncing the Department of Defense's policy of paying travel expenses for servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions. The letter emphasizes that the current situation began with Secretary Austin's original promulgation of the policy.

In the letter, the senators call on Secretary Austin to rescind the policy immediately, stating, "Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now."

The senators were joined by several other Republican senators, including Katie Britt (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), among others.

The senators argue that Secretary Austin has broken his promise not to politicize the military and that his actions have harmed institutional norms within the democracy. They point out that the Department of Defense, under Secretary Austin's direction, has authorized the payment of government-funded travel for active-duty personnel and their dependents to receive abortions outside of the state in which they are stationed.

The senators also highlight that the Department's abortion travel policy extends to late-term abortions, as confirmed by the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness during a hearing on the policy.

The letter emphasizes that Congress holds the legislative power, and the executive branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing the law. The senators argue that Congress never authorized the Department to expend funds to facilitate abortions, and until the policy was issued, the military only facilitated abortions in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother was in danger.

The senators highlight that taxpayers, many of whom have religious and moral objections to abortions, are now required to facilitate abortions through their tax dollars. They cite a Marist poll that found 60% of Americans strongly oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for an abortion.

Furthermore, the senators argue that Secretary Austin's decision to engage the Department and the military in a policy debate that should be reserved for the legislature undermines the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. They state that the Department has no data to support the claim that the decision has readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the force. Additionally, they point out that only 12 women have taken advantage of the policy since its inception, undermining the argument that it has significant recruiting and retention implications.

The senators conclude by urging Secretary Austin to do the right thing and rescind the policy, emphasizing that the decision to issue the policy politicized the military and prioritized the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation.

The senators' letter adds to the ongoing debate surrounding the Department of Defense's abortion travel policy, highlighting concerns about the politicization of the military and the use of taxpayer funds for abortions.

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/