The Pentagon reported last month that the Biden administration’s policy to defray travel expenses for service members seeking abortions had been used only 12 times in six months, but one expert said this was a sign that the military is rejecting the policy. He said that.
After the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced in October 2022 that the Department of Defense would “reimburse the cost of abortion services to service members and their dependents who choose to travel to obtain an abortion.” If timely access is not available, taxes will pay for it.” Near the full-time station of the members. ”
Connor Semelsberger, government relations manager at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that since the 1980s, before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the Pentagon has followed federal law It states that government agencies cannot pay for or perform elective abortions. However, abortion can be performed in cases of rape, incest, or taking the life of the mother.
“But then Roe falls in 2022, and the Biden administration basically takes this approach across the government. [of] “We’re going to pay for, promote, and promote abortion in any way we can.” They essentially claim that the law says they can’t have abortions, but they will pay for abortions. “We did,” Semelsberger explained.
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According to a policy directive from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon is cracking down on military personnel who travel to obtain abortions. (Left: (Photo Credit: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images), Right: (Photo Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images))
Pentagon officials said they only began tracking travel based on the year-old policy in August and were unable to collect data from March to July.
It’s also unclear what the 12 trips were actually for, as the insurance can be used for reproductive health services other than abortions. Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the Department of Defense, said that although the policy was used 12 times, that does not mean the policy was used by 12 individuals, but that it could be used multiple times by a single individual. He pointed out that there is a gender.
“They don’t even know for sure that it was used for abortions, because this furlough policy and flight policy does not allow for in vitro fertilization or other infertility treatments that may be taken out of state. , as it also applies to other reproductive procedures,” Semelsberger said. “IVF can require two or three different trips, so only a handful of people will take advantage of this, and there may not be as many as 12.”
“Decades and generations of public opinion polls have shown that Americans do not want their own funds to pay for abortions, travel for abortions, or any abortion-related costs. ,” Semelsberger said.
“I think this is another repudiation of this kind of woke ideology that permeates throughout government, but especially the military and people who have felt really patriotic and wanted to fight for their country over the years. “People who think they’re doing it in a special sense of ‘service to the country and really saying, ‘No, abortion is not for me,'” he added.
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A view of the Pentagon on March 14, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. ((Photo credit: Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images))
According to the Department of Defense, 12 reports of military members and dependents being granted additional paid leave to travel out of state for “reproductive health services” cost taxpayers approximately $4. The price went from $44,000 to $45,000.
“If you average $44,000 over 12 trips, that’s about $3,700 per trip,” Semelsberger said. “That’s a lot of money, right? Again, this doesn’t even cover the abortion, it covers the cost of the plane ticket and everything else. So the financial benefit for the service member and their dependents who choose this is It’s actually very expensive, and I have $3,700 left.”You fly anywhere, get a hotel, get a night or two of food, and maybe have a late-term abortion, but depending on the woman’s progress. Depending on the situation, this could take 2 or 3 days. That’s really generous. ”
“This administration has recklessly politicized the military with this farcical policy,” Sen. Roger Wicker said in an earlier statement to Fox News Digital. He added: “The Department acknowledged today that people who are using this policy may not even be using it for abortions. The reality is that access to abortion threatens preparedness. Not,” he added.
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At the time the rule was enacted, Austin argued that because some states had banned abortions after the Roe v. Wade reversal, the “readiness” of service members and their families in those states would be affected. .
“In my judgment, such impact would constitute an unusual, abnormal, hardship, or emergency situation for service members and their dependents, and would impair our ability to recruit, maintain, and maintain high-capability forces and maintain readiness. It will cause a hindrance,” he said.
“These policies ensure service members and their families have the time and flexibility to make civilian health care decisions and support access to uninsured reproductive health care regardless of where they are stationed. ” said Singh.
Abortion rights activists protest outside the Supreme Court building ahead of arguments in the Mississippi abortion rights case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health on December 1, 2021 in Washington. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
But despite the fact that the Pentagon is “dangling an economic carrot” to women, data shows that women often choose not to have an abortion, Semelsberger said. Stated.
“The administration has been pushing for abortions, saying, “In order for us to be military ready so that we can quickly return to the field and fight on the front lines, we don’t want you to get pregnant; we need you to get pregnant.” Still, he said, “We’ll pay you $3,500 for an abortion, but we don’t want you to get pregnant.” “The military is basically saying to the government, ‘No, we don’t actually want that.'”
Semelsberger explained that the Pentagon spent months reaching out to the U.S. Senate, particularly Republican senators, to ask why such action was necessary.
“They’re here promoting this and touting it as something that every military member needs to have access to. No matter where you live, no matter what military base you’re on, abortion needs to be readily accessible. “There is. The military is basically saying, ‘This is not what we really need or want to use,'” he said.
“The Biden administration was willing to stake all its claims that this was legal and necessary for the military and military readiness, but it still cannot say that 12 people took advantage of it,” he added.
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Semelsberger said this low number is due to the fact that Americans, and more specifically military personnel, do not want their tax dollars to be used for abortions, and would rather military members start families and receive paid leave to care for their loved ones. He said this was evidence of the desire to have military funding paid. of their children.
“The military has been very family-friendly for years, both in terms of how much they promote marriage and the benefits they get from married service members, and it’s like they’re starting to loosen up by promoting abortion.” he said. “I think this culture is impacting, and that’s probably what’s going to happen at the voting booth this year in terms of how people feel about these policies.”
FOX News’ Bradford Betts contributed to this report.
