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 the travel expenses of servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions. The senators demanded that Secretary Austin rescind the policy immediately.

In the letter, the senators criticized Secretary Austin for politicizing the military and breaking his promise to the American people not to do so. They highlighted that the policy was implemented following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which legalized abortion restrictions.

The senators pointed out that Congress has the authority to make laws, and the executive branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing those laws. They argued that the Department of Defense does not have the authority to use taxpayer funds to facilitate abortions, especially when many Americans have deeply-held religious and moral objections to the procedure.

Furthermore, the senators emphasized that the Department's abortion travel policy extends to late-term abortions, despite lacking data to support its claims of readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the military. They cited the confirmation from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness that the Department has no data on women being deterred from joining the military due to restrictive abortion laws.

The letter also highlighted that only 12 women have taken advantage of the policy since its inception, further undermining the argument that the Supreme Court's decision has significant recruiting and retention implications.

The senators concluded the letter by urging Secretary Austin to "do the right thing" and rescind the policy immediately. They emphasized that the decision to issue the policy politicized the military and prioritized the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation.

It is now up to Secretary Austin to respond to the letter and address the concerns raised by the senators. The call for the repeal of the abortion travel policy underscores the ongoing debate surrounding reproductive rights in the United States and the role of the military in facilitating access to abortion services.

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