Federal lawmakers have dropped an amendment from the National Defense Authorization Act that would bar the Defense Department from covering the travel costs of service members who leave the state for an abortion.
The policy was enacted by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and prompted a nearly ten-month protest from Senator Tommy Tuberville, who refused to take part in a voice vote on military confirmations until the policy was codified. While individual votes on each promotion could have been held, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could not hold an expedited vote on over 400 military appointments.
House Republicans passed the NDAA in July with the amendment blocking the abortion travel subsidy. Now, a new draft of the NDAA indicates House Republicans have agreed to remove the amendment from the bill.
“Dropping the amendment may lead to resistance to the NDAA in the House, especially among more conservative representatives,” reports The Hill. “But lawmakers must reach a consensus with the Democratic-controlled Senate if they want to pass the Defense bill on time.”
The NDAA originally approved $886 billion for national defense programs, prohibited the instruction of Critical Race Theory, terminated the Chief Diversity Officer position from the Defense Department, and cut funding to combat vehicle electrification research programs. At least $17.5 billion was earmarked for military construction and family housing while the largest portion of the budget – $289.3 billion – was dedicated to operation and maintenance, according to a fact sheet from the House Armed Service Committee.
The committee estimated the budget to save $40 billion or 5% of current defense spending. As part of the terms of the budget, the Defense Department would be penalized if it overspent on any major defense programs. The act also required the Secretary of Defense to inform any servicemember who was discharged for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine of what steps they can take to be reinstated.
Just two House Republicans, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Congressman John Duarte of California, opposed the abortion amendment.
The amendment was sponsored by Texas Congressmen Ronny Jackson and Chip Roy.
“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the Biden administration immediately set out to sidestep the Court’s ruling and circumvent the law wherever possible,” said Jackson in a press release in July. “Taxpayer money provided to DoD is intended to provide for our national defense and our national security, not to promote and support the Biden administration’s radical and immoral pro-abortion agenda.”
“Regardless of your political or personal stance on abortion, this policy is in direct violation of federal law, specifically, Section 1093 of U.S. Code Title 10, which restricts funds made available to the DoD from being used for abortions,” he added.
Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat in the House of Representatives to vote in favor of the amendment.
Funding for the Defense Department is currently ensured through February as part of a short-term bill passed by Congress in November.
