U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville is continuing his pro-life campaign against the Pentagon’s anti-life “abortion destination” travel policies.
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a memorandum on October 20, 2022, directing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to take various actions to help military servicemembers “access reproductive health care” (i.e., abortions and contraception).
Austin directed the DOD to establish travel and transportation allowances for servicemembers to travel – on taxpayer dollars – to obtain abortions.
He also directed the DOD to conduct a “comprehensive contraception education campaign” to inform servicemembers and their families about their ability to access emergency contraception.
On February 16, 2023, Under Secretary of Defense Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. issued a memorandum implementing the directive with new human resources instructions and policies. He instructed,
The Secretary directed travel and transportation allowances be established for Service members and their dependents … to facilitate official travel to access non-covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service member’s permanent duty station … including abortion.
As a result, the Pentagon is using taxpayer dollars to pay for servicemembers and their dependents to abort their children. However, the Pentagon does not pay for the abortion itself.
The Pentagon’s blatantly pro-abortion push came immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. Secretary Austin was one of the many heads of important executive agencies that used the ruling to promote abortion. In a statement given the same day as the ruling, the secretary said,
I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force. The Department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law.
However, according to some, the Pentagon’s anti-life policies violate federal law.
Since March 2023, Senator Tuberville has held up hundreds of Pentagon nominees to oppose the DOD’s pro-abortion policies.
“The Secretary of Defense is following through with his radical plan to facilitate thousands of abortions a year with taxpayer dollars,” the senator said after announcing the hold, adding,
If Secretary Austin wants to change the law, he should go through Congress. This is an illegal expansion of DOD authority and a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars – and I will hold him accountable. The American people want a military focused on national defense, not facilitating a progressive political agenda.
Two months ago, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, with inflammatory rhetoric, accused Sen. Tuberville of “aiding and abetting a communist and other autocratic regimes around the world” by holding up the military promotions.
However, Sen. Tuberville’s hold does not mean the U.S. Senate cannot confirm any Pentagon nominees. Rather, he is refusing to agree to unanimously consent to approve senior military promotions simultaneously.
As Kurt Schlichter has written at Townhall,
Senator Tuberville asked the Pentagon to stop doing this illegal thing. The Pentagon refused. So Senator Tuberville refused to agree to unanimous consent to pass, en masse, senior military promotions.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could still bring up each nominee individually for the Senate to consider and vote on.
This happened just days ago, as the Senate considered and approved three military promotions, including the promotion of Lieutenant General Christopher Mahoney as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps who replaced General Eric Smith following his apparent heart attack.
Of course, there’s another solution to the ongoing stalemate: the Pentagon could rescind its anti-life policies of providing servicemembers with free travel for abortions.
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, visit My Choice Network.
Focus on the Family has been working to turn the cultural tide and save mothers and babies from abortion for years. Since beginning the Option Ultrasound Program in 2004, Focus has helped save nearly half a million lives.
Our goal is to save one million babies by 2025. Just $60 will save a life through Option Ultrasound. Will you partner with us to save a life from abortion here?
Related articles and resources:
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Senator Tuberville Continues Courageous Pro-Life Campaign Against Pentagon’s Abortion Policy
Senator Halts Pentagon Nominees Over Department’s Anti-Life Policies
U.S. Military to Receive Time Off and Travel Expenses to Obtain Abortions
Photo from Getty Images.
