Political

The Biden Administration is funding abortion travel in the military, and our elected Representatives can stop it. The new Department of Defense (DoD) policy is a flagrant disregard for long-standing federal law that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions. Since the beginning of this year, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has used a procedural tool to object to military promotions by unanimous consent until the Defense Department reverses its policy to pay travel expenses and time off (up to three weeks) for military personnel and their families who go out of state to obtain abortions. 

Democrats have no intentions of reversing this measure nor allowing a vote on a stand-alone bill to hold the DoD accountable. However, the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 “NDAA” (H.R. 2670) contains language that eliminates the policy. The House-passed language will continue the status quo of no taxpayer funding for abortions and allow the military promotions that have been stalled for ten months to move forward under unanimous consent. 

The House bill also contains protections for parental rights in education for those in the military — a policy that Democrats want to strip out of the legislation. Military families deserve to know what their children are learning in school. If the House language remains, parents with children in DoD schools will have access to school curricula, be notified of students using the bathroom opposite of their sex, and be able to approach school authorities with concerns. With increasingly extreme ideologies prevailing in the military school system, those who serve to protect our rights deserve to have their rights protected as well.

House and Senate members appointed to the conference committee on the NDAA will meet this week to work out the differences between their two versions of the bill. This will be the chance for all the conferees to hold the line on eliminating the DoD’s abortion travel rule and securing the rights of military parents regarding their children’s education. The House and Senate conferees are as follows: 

House

Republicans

Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02)

Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03)

Rep. Jack Bergman (MI-01)

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)

Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04)

Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01)

Chairman Mike Gallagher (WI-08)

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (FL-28)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14)

Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13)

Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-04)

Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01)

Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01)

Rep. Lisa McClain (MI-09)

Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03)

Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08)

Rep. and Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21)

Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06)

Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02)

Rep. Robert Wittman (VA-01)

Democrats

Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2)

Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-3)

Rep. John Garamendi (CA-8)

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6)

Rep. William Keating (MA-9)

Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-3)

Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-6)

Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-1)

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-7)

Rep. Adam Smith (WA-9)

Senate

Republicans

Sen. Tedd Budd (R-NC)

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK)

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO)

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Democrats

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ)

Sen. Angus King (D-ME)

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

We ask that you contact your Senators and Representatives listed above and urge them to retain the House-passed language on these two items. If your Representative or Senator was not chosen to be a conferee for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. Please watch your inbox to learn what these conferees decide and how to take action once negotiations are made.

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Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121