In response to Republican claims that it violates the Hyde Amendment, the Biden Pentagon on Thursday defended its recently implemented policy to utilize American taxpayer funds to pay for troops’ travel and lodging when seeking abortions.
During a Armed Services Senate Committee hearing, Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense, claimed that the policy, which went into force last month, was “grounded on strong legal grounds.”
The Pentagon’s policy was implemented after Roe v. Wade, which had ruled that abortion was actually a constitutional right, was overruled by the Supreme Court last summer. If troops were stationed in states where abortions were prohibited, the Pentagon passed multiple policies that would allow them to go outside of the state for abortions and provide them with the funds to do so.
The Pentagon does not cover or permit elective abortions, but has traditionally permitted abortions in cases of incest, rape, or when the life of the mother is in danger. The new Biden Pentagon policy would give soldiers up to three weeks of leave time and pay for their airfare and lodging for getting an abortion.
Republicans contend that the practice goes against the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of federal monies, and by extension, tax dollars, to support abortions.
Austin countered:
“Almost one in every five of our soldiers are women, and they do not have a say in where they’re stationed, so nearly 80,000 of the women are based in places where they do not have access to non-covered reproductive health care. I heard from the troops, I heard from our highest-ranking leaders, I heard from the chiefs, and also the secretaries and this policy is founded on strong legal grounds.”
Republican senators argued that forcing the American taxpayers to cover the expense of elective abortions would violate the Hyde Amendment rather than restricting access to abortion.
Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) said:
“I just want to make it clear that I am strongly opposed to the DOD’s recent policy on permitting travel expenses for those who will be traveling to other states to have abortions. I think it’s very important that we stay adherent to the Hyde Amendment, which blocks taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions.”
“We’re not saying that women cannot get abortions, they may, but that is to be privately paid. I am vehemently opposed to spending taxpayer dollars to subsidize the extension of abortion, and I know that there are other people on this committee who agree with me.”
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