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 for the travel expenses of servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions.

According to the letter, the senators argue that "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 concludes by calling on Secretary Austin to "Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now."

The senators were joined by a number of their colleagues in the Republican party, including Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), among others.

The senators express their concern that the Department of Defense's policy goes against the wishes of the American people and violates the principle of legislative power vested in Congress. They argue that the Department does not have the authority to use taxpayer funds to facilitate abortions, especially considering that many Americans have religious and moral objections to abortion.

The senators also criticize Secretary Austin for politicizing the military and involving them in a policy debate that should be reserved for the legislature. They argue that the Department has no data to support its claim that the policy has readiness, recruiting, and retention implications for the military. In fact, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness confirmed that there is no data on women being deterred from joining the military due to restrictive abortion laws in certain states or nations. Furthermore, only 12 women have taken advantage of the policy since its inception, which undermines the argument that it has significant recruiting and retention implications.

The senators emphasize that the decision to issue the policy prioritizes the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation. They urge Secretary Austin to rescind the policy and do the right thing.

In conclusion, Senators Rand Paul and Ted Budd, along with 25 other GOP Senators, have sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding the rescinding of the Department of Defense's policy of paying for the travel expenses of servicemembers and dependents seeking abortions. The senators argue that the policy goes against the wishes of the American people and violates the principle of legislative power vested in Congress. They also criticize Secretary Austin for politicizing the military and involving them in a policy debate that should be reserved for the legislature. The senators call on Secretary Austin to rescind the policy and prioritize the needs of the entire nation.

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/