Pro-life groups demand Congress halt Pentagon's abortion travel funding policy

A coalition of pro-life groups have called on House Republicans to end the Department of Defense policy allowing military servicemembers time off and reimbursement for travel to obtain abortions.

The Pentagon adopted the plan in the wake of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion and led to numerous states banning the procedure entirely or at least imposing restrictions.

In a Thursday letter to House Republicans, which Fox News obtained, a coalition of nearly 50 think tanks and organizations deemed the policy "illegal" and asked that lawmakers use the National Defense Authorization Act to end the practice.

"Clear language defunding Biden's abortion travel policy has passed the Appropriations Committee in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill, but the NDAA is the legislative vehicle to reassert Congress' authority over policymaking and ensure that our nation's laws and policies reflect the will of the American people," they wrote. "Now that the House Armed Services Committee has passed the FY24 NDAA, it is imperative that this policy be fully repealed in any NDAA that passes on the House floor."

"Rather than focusing on confronting the serious challenges facing our country, President Biden and Secretary Austin have unnecessarily dragged the military into the middle of a divisive political issue and attempted to co-opt military resources in furtherance of an unrelated, partisan, ideological agenda. The House of Representatives now has an opportunity to remedy these egregious actions and pass a truly clean NDAA," they continued.

Among those organizations signing the letter were pro-life groups such as Students for Life Action, Family Research Council, American Cornerstone Institute, and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. The conservative Heritage Foundation was also a signatory.

The Pentagon policy has faced intense scrutiny from pro-life advocates and lawmakers, including Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who has imposed a blanket hold on Department of Defense appointments in protest of the matter. The Alabama lawmaker has halted unanimous consent requests in the upper chamber, forcing the Senate to either schedule hearings for each nomination or leave them unconfirmed.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.