Pentagon Officials Say Abortion Access is ‘Critical and Necessary’
An opinion piece written by three Pentagon officials characterizes the Department of Defense’s (DoD) policies on abortion access for service members as “critical and necessary.”
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth co-authored an article published in the Washington Post that underscores the ongoing debate surrounding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) policies on abortion access for service members.
The DoD’s policies, which provide service members with time off for abortion-related medical care without charging leave and reimburses travel expenses, aim to support military personnel in accessing abortion services. These policies were introduced following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Travel and transportation allowances may be authorized for Service members and dependents to travel to access non-covered reproductive health care. Travel and transportation allowances may be authorized when access to non-covered reproductive health care services is not available within the local area of the members permanent duty station, temporary duty location, or the last location the dependent was transported on Government orders.“
Department of Defense
The Washington Post article goes on to state that these policies are “critical and necessary to meet our obligations to the force.” It also condemns Senator Tommy Tuberville who has blocked the confirmation of senior military officers in the Senate. The Alabama senator has stated that his blocking of these individuals is in protest of the DoD’s abortion policies.
Senator Tuberville argues that the DoD’s policies violate the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding law that restricts the use of federal funds for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger.
“The Biden Admin injected politics into the military and imposed an unlawful abortion policy on the American taxpayers,” Senator Tubervile said in a post on X. “I am trying to get politics out of the military.”
