Twenty-three conservative movement leaders signed a letter supporting U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-Auburn) push to reverse a Department of Defense (DOD) policy that uses taxpayer dollars to help service members get abortions.
The DOD policy offers female soldiers in states where abortion is illegal up to three weeks of administrative leave and transportation allowances to receive abortions in different states.
This follows the U.S. Supreme Court's (SCOTUS) ruling last summer to overturn Roe v. Wade and bring the abortion issue back to the states. Several Republican states with laws to ban abortion already on the books immediately went into effect, including Alabama's Human Life Protection Act, which state lawmakers initially passed in 2019.
Tuberville, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced in February his intent to place a hold on military and civilian nominations before the Senate until the DOD reevaluates its pro-abortion policy, which he dubbed the policy an "illegal expansion of DOD authority" and a "gross misuse of taxpayer dollars." This move would get in the way of the Senate's approval of President Joe Biden's DOD nominees and would require a formal Senate vote, which may present a challenge to the nominees.
According to Tuberville's office, the number of abortions subsidized with taxpayer funds through the DOD could increase to 4,100 yearly with the new policy.
Former U.S. Housing Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins were among the names on the letter. Other names included:
Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America
Brian Burch, President of CatholicVote.org
Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life Action
Jessica Anderson, Executive Director of Heritage Action for America
Brent Bozell, Founder and President of Media Research Center
Morton Blackwell, Chairman of Conservative Leadership PAC
Dean Nelson, Executive Director of Human Coalition Action
Penny Nance, President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee
Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO of Americans United for Life
Ryan T. Anderson, Ph.D., President of The Ethics and Public Policy Center
Ken Blackwell, Chairman of Conservative Action Project
Mike Berry, Vice President of External Affairs of First Liberty
Star Parker, Founder and President of Center for Urban Renewal and Education
Paul Teller, Executive Director of Advancing American Freedom
David Bozell, President of ForAmerica
Elaine Donnelly, President of Center for Military Readiness
Kelly Shackelford, President/CEO of First Liberty Institute
Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch
Former U.S. Rep. Bob McEwen (R-Ohio)
Diana L. Banister of Sovereign Global Solutions
"The mission of the U.S. military is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security, not to pursue an abortion agenda being pushed by the Biden administration and their radical allies on the outside," said the letter read. "Sen. Tuberville understands the importance of the military, and he seeks to stop it from becoming an abortion facilitator that would encourage pregnant servicewomen to choose a taxpayer-subsidized abortion instead of giving birth to the child."
A spokeswoman from Tuberville said the letter had been sent to all 48 Republicans in the U.S. Senate.
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