WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined 33 of their Senate Republican colleagues to stop the DoD’s travel abortion policy. Last year, President Biden’s Department of Defense (DoD) announced it would pay for service members’ and their dependents’ travel expenses to receive an abortion.
“No taxpayer dollars should be used for any portion of the abortion process. Even more so, taxpayer dollars allocated for our nation’s defense—for the protection of American life—should not finance a service members’ travel to receive an abortion,” said Risch. “This legislation ensures our defense budget is used as intended—to strengthen our armed forces and appropriately protect all lives.”
“Americans work far too hard to watch their tax dollars be used on questionable programs. Tax dollars should not go toward abortion or any abortion-related services, period,” said Crapo.
“The Pentagon should not be mobilized against the unborn. The Department of Defense exists to defend life, not destroy it," said Ernst. “Biden DoD’s policy is not just unlawful, it’s immoral. Congress has been clear; the Hyde Amendment protects taxpayers from being forced to fund abortions. I will continue to ensure the unborn and your tax dollars are protected.”
Risch, Crapo, and Ernst are joined on the legislation by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
A recent poll showed that a majority of Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions, signaling support for the Hyde Amendment. You can read full bill text here .
# # #
