Two Republican members of the Alabama congressional delegation are battling an abortion policy recently adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) which makes it easier for female soldiers in pro-life states to get abortions where they are legal.
According to reports, the policy offers female soldiers up to three weeks of administrative leave and transportation allowances to receive abortions in different states.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement on Thursday criticizing the DOD's policy.
"Today, the Biden administration chose to make the Department of Defense an abortion travel agency over a lethal fighting force," Rogers said. "As I have repeatedly told the political leaders of this administration, taking this action jeopardizes congressional authorizations for our warfighters. I am extremely disappointed the Biden administration chose once again to use our military to placate the radical left."
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News that he planned to place a hold on military and civilian nominations before the Senate until the DOD reevaluates its pro-abortion policy, which he called 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.
The pentagon's decision to assist women in receiving abortions follows the U.S. Supreme Court's (SCOTUS) decision last summer to overturn Roe v. Wade and bring the abortion issue back to the states. This brought into effect laws in many red states that banned abortion, including Alabama's Human Life Protection Act, which state lawmakers initially passed in 2019.
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