Sen. Joni Ernst introduces legislation to bar DOD from paying abortion travel costs
Juliegrace Brufke
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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is leading the efforts on legislation aimed at amending the Department of Defense’s travel statute to prevent funding from being used to pay for service members and their families to travel to obtain an abortion.
The legislation, introduced on Wednesday, comes in the wake of President Joe Biden signing an executive order last year permitting the Pentagon to pay for members of the military and their dependents to travel for the procedure following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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Proponents of the legislation argue that taxpayer dollars should not be allocated toward abortions.
“The Pentagon should not be mobilized against the unborn. The Department of Defense exists to defend life, not destroy it,” Ernst, a combat veteran, said in a statement. “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.”
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Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-SK), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and J.D. Vance (R-OH) also signed on to the legislation.
The measure faces an uphill battle in the Democratic-controlled upper chamber.