By Peter Pinedo
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 13, 2023 / 20:10 pm
The U.S. House of Representatives passed two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Thursday evening mandating the military stop its programs paying for abortion travel and transgender surgeries for service members.
Under a policy laid out by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the military has been granting paid leave and subsidizing service members’ travel to obtain abortions. Transgender and gender-identity treatments and surgeries also have been subsidized by the military under the Biden administration.
Two amendments passed by the House Thursday evening would undo those military policies.
The amendment overturning the military’s abortion program, filed by Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, passed in a 221-213 vote. The amendment passed in an almost party-line vote, with two Republicans voting against it and one Democrat voting in favor.
The amendment ending the military’s transgender surgeries program was filed by Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana and passed in a 221-211 vote. One Republican voted against this amendment and one Democrat voted in favor.
The NDAA is an annual must-pass spending package that sets the military’s budget for the next fiscal year. Both the House and Senate advance their own versions of the package, which must be reconciled with each other and then signed by the president.
