House Votes To End Pentagon’s Controversial Abortion Travel Funding

Led by its Republican majority, the House voted on Thursday to terminate a Department of Defense initiative to pay for interstate travel for abortion. This policy applied to service members who were stationed in states that did not permit the procedure.

The margin was 221-213. It was nearly a party-line vote, with a pair of Republicans voting against it and one Democrat voting in favor. 

It came in an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This will clearly draw fire in the Senate, which is controlled by pro-abortion Democrats.

Another amendment approved by House Republicans would end the Biden administration’s subsidizing of transgender and gender identity treatments and surgeries for armed forces members. 

The two proposals were part of several amendments attached to the massive $886 billion military spending package. Among other features are a 5.2% military pay increase and the appointment of an inspector general to oversee the billions pouring into Ukraine from the Pentagon. 

The NDAA is an annual military spending package in which the House and Senate put forth their own versions before they are reconciled and sent to the president.

The Pentagon’s policy of using taxpayer funds to support abortion travel was announced after last year’s Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade. The aftermath saw several states ban abortion or severely limit its practice.

Some of these states are home to military bases, which created controversy between pro-life members of Congress and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 

Part of the contention came from a notable stand taken by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

The former Auburn football coach has single-handedly held up hundreds of military promotions and nominations to protest the military funding of abortions. He has done so by withholding his support for unanimous approval of these appointments, which is the normal procedure.

Instead, the Senate is now forced to use limited floor time to hold individual hearings on each, grinding the process to a halt.

This, of course, could have been prevented if Austin and his boss in the White House did not attempt to counter the high court and force taxpayers to support abortion. 

Tuberville and Austin sat down on Thursday to discuss the impasse, though no progress was reported.