Bowling Green Today

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ted Budd (R-NC) joined 25 other GOP Senators in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, criticizing the Department of Defense's policy of paying for the travel expenses of servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions. The letter states, "our men and women in uniform deserve Senate-confirmed leadership but the current situation began with your original sin of promulgating the Policy."

The letter calls on Secretary Austin to "Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now." The senators argue that the Department of Defense has overstepped its authority by using taxpayer funds to facilitate abortions, an action that goes against the beliefs of many Americans who have religious or moral objections to abortions.

The senators also accuse Secretary Austin of politicizing the military and engaging in a policy debate that should be reserved for the legislature. They argue that the Department's claim that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization has "readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the Force" is unsupported by data. In fact, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness confirmed that the Department has "no data on women being deterred from joining the military for fear of being stationed at an installation or base in a state or nation that has restrictive abortion laws." Additionally, only 12 women have taken advantage of the Policy since its inception, further undermining the argument that it has significant recruiting and retention implications.

The senators assert that the Department's policy has harmed institutional norms within the democracy and that Secretary Austin's decision to issue the Policy was a political move that prioritized the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation. They highlight the importance of Senate-confirmed leadership and criticize the Senate Majority Leader's refusal to bring general and flag officer nominations to the floor until forced to by Republicans.

In conclusion, the senators urge Secretary Austin to rescind the Policy and rectify the situation. By doing so, they believe the Department can uphold the principles of the Constitution and respect the beliefs of the American people.

It remains to be seen how Secretary Austin will respond to this demand from the senators, but the issue of abortion travel policy within the Department of Defense continues to be a contentious one.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-paul-sen-budd-send-letter-to-sec-austin-demanding-that-dod-rescind-abortion-travel-policy/