{"id":278500,"date":"2022-10-24T18:33:29","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T23:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=278500"},"modified":"2022-10-24T18:29:09","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T23:29:09","slug":"pentagon-abortion-travel-military-dependents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pentagon-abortion-travel-military-dependents\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon will pay for abortion travel of military members and dependents"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pentagon will be paying travel expenses for military members and their dependents to get abortions if they live in a state with pro-life laws.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a new <\/span>memorandum<\/span><\/a>, entitled \u201cEnsuring Access to Reproductive Health Care,\u201d Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that the overturning of <\/span>Roe v. Wade<\/span><\/i> leading to the enactment of protections for preborn babies in some states will cause \u201creadiness, recruiting, and retention implications\u201d for the U.S. military. For Austin, the fact that service members frequently travel or move to such locations and could be unable to obtain abortions easily \u2013 or have to pay out of pocket for travel to obtain abortions \u2013 is an \u201cemergency.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

URGENT:\u00a0<\/b>For every dollar given, 34 more people can be reached with the truth about abortion. Will you join us in this life-saving work as a monthly donor today?<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my judgment, such effects qualify as unusual, extraordinary, hardship, or emergency circumstances for Service members and their dependents and will interfere with our ability to recruit, retain, and maintain the readiness of a highly qualified force,\u201d Secretary Austin wrote in the memo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The memo establishes a fund which will be used to reimburse Service members and their dependents for the cost of out-of-state travel for abortions not available in their local area. Currently, the Hyde Amendment prevents Tricare, the health insurance available to military members and dependents, from paying for or committing abortions, except in cases of incest, rape, or threat to a mother\u2019s life. According to <\/span>Military Times<\/span><\/a>, service members seeking abortions can take nonchargeable leave \u2013 leave that cannot be taken from vacation time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, referring to abortion, the memo expands privacy protections for pregnant women with the goal of giving them \u201ctime to make private health care decisions,\u201d even though abortion \u2013 the <\/span>direct and intentional act<\/span><\/a> of <\/span>killing<\/span><\/a> of a preborn human being \u2013 is <\/span>not health care<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>life-affirming options exist<\/span><\/a> to protect the lives of both mother and child<\/span>. Pregnant service members used to have two weeks after a positive test to inform their commanders of their pregnancy, but now they will be allowed to wait until 20 weeks of gestation<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, military physicians will be prohibited from disclosing \u201creproductive health information\u201d to unit commanders unless such information causes \u201crisk of harm to mission, occupational safety requirements, or acute medical conditions interfering with duty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Austin\u2019s memo also expands abortion-related protections for military doctors in states with pro-life laws. The memo directed the Defense Department to pay physicians to obtain certifications in abortion-friendly states where requested, as well as establish a program to support military physicians who are subject to \u201ccivil or criminal penalties or loss of license or reprimand\u201d for committing abortions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pro-life lawmakers blasted Secretary Austin\u2019s memo, with Senator Rick Scott of Florida decrying how the Biden administration is pushing its extreme pro-abortion policies on the military. \u201cHe\u2019s using the military to advance his radical pro-abortion agenda,\u201d Scott <\/span>tweeted<\/span><\/a>. \u201cAmericans are struggling to make ends meet, and THIS is how he spends his time and our taxpayer dollars?! It\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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FIRST, @JoeBiden<\/a> proclaimed abortion his TOP PRIORITY.<\/p>\n

NOW, he's using the military to advance his radical pro-abortion agenda.<\/p>\n

Americans are struggling to make ends meet, and THIS is how he spends his time and our taxpayer dollars?! It's disgusting. https:\/\/t.co\/kcfxXBJNAK<\/a><\/p>\n

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n