Heritage Action for America Takes a Stand Against Pentagon’s Abortion Policy
Heritage Action for America is gearing up to oppose a congressionally negotiated defense spending measure should it fail to include a provision outlawing the Pentagon’s illegal abortion policy.
“Our adversaries—especially China—have watched as this administration put politics over military strength and lethality,” Heritage Action Executive Vice President Ryan Walker said in a statement. “President Biden focused on turning the Pentagon into an abortion travel agency while struggling to recruit servicemembers and showing weakness around the world. Enough is enough.”
Earlier this year, the Defense Department launched a new policy that uses U.S. taxpayer dollars to pay for service members’ travel expenses to get abortions, constituting a violation of the Hyde Amendment. In response to this unlawful guidance, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., began using his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee to slow-walk votes on President Biden’s military nominees. Rather than allow the committee to confirm a large number of military nominations “en masse,” the Alabama senator’s protest forces the body to vote on each nomination one at a time.
In addition to facing attacks from Democrats — who have baselessly claimed the protest harms U.S. “military readiness” and “national security” — Tuberville has come under fire from his GOP colleagues. Several of these “Republican” senators, including Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and others, are reportedly preparing to side with Democrats in advancing a resolution to change Senate rules that would allow the body to skirt Tuberville’s protest and effectively permit the DOD’s unlawful abortion policy to go unchallenged.
With the Pentagon unlikely to change its position, the only way for Republicans to nuke the immoral guidance is via the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. While the House-passed version of the bill included such a provision that — according to Tuberville — had the votes to pass in the upper chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer purportedly killed the amendment before it could be considered.
With Congress currently negotiating the NDAA’s specifics, Heritage Action is threatening to oppose the bill should it fail to include language gutting the Pentagon’s unlawful abortion policy. According to Walker, the conservative organization’s potential opposition to the bill would mark “the first time in nearly a decade” that it will have fought the defense package’s final passage.
“Conservatives must use the NDAA to ban Chinese land purchases, curb American capital flowing to the Chinese military, and cut all ties to the dangerous research labs that gave us the COVID pandemic,” Walker said. “But we cannot defeat our enemies abroad as long as the military is used to fight Biden’s political battles at home.”
While not a political action committee, Heritage Action grades members of Congress based on their voting records. The more conservative a politician’s voting record is, the higher their score will be. Failure to uphold such principles results in a lower score and could hinder a representative or senator’s ability to fundraise and garner electoral support for a potential reelection bid.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas — a vocal supporter of Tuberville’s protest — previously told The Federalist that House Republicans have an obligation to fight the Pentagon’s illegal conduct. Roy also criticized his GOP colleagues for leaving the Alabama senator “dangling by walking away from forcing the good policies on NDAA negotiations.” House Speaker Mike Johnson previously did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment on whether he intends to ensure a provision repealing the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy is included in the 2024 NDAA.
“Biden’s flagrant disregard for Life and the rule of law is so serious a threat to the integrity of our Armed Forces, conservatives cannot vote for legislation that lets him off the hook,” Walker concluded.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
How has Senator Tommy Tuberville sought to challenge the Pentagon’s abortion policy?
Heritage Action for America is taking a firm stand against the Pentagon’s abortion policy, vowing to oppose a defense spending measure if it does not include a provision to outlaw this illegal practice. The organization’s Executive Vice President, Ryan Walker, criticized the Biden administration for prioritizing politics over military strength and for turning the Pentagon into what he referred to as an “abortion travel agency.”
Earlier this year, the Defense Department implemented a policy that allows U.S. taxpayer dollars to be used for service members’ travel expenses related to obtaining abortions. This policy is a violation of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother. In response, Senator Tommy Tuberville took a stand by using his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay votes on President Biden’s military nominees. Rather than confirming a large number of nominations at once, Tuberville’s protest forces the committee to vote on each nomination individually.
Tuberville has faced criticism from Democrats, who baselessly claim that his protest harms military readiness and national security. Additionally, he has come under fire from some of his Republican colleagues, including Senators Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Joni Ernst of Iowa, who are reportedly preparing to side with Democrats in advancing a resolution to change Senate rules to bypass Tuberville’s protest and allow the Pentagon’s unlawful abortion policy to continue unchecked.
The only way for Republicans to challenge the Pentagon’s policy is through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. The House-passed version of the bill included a provision to outlaw the Pentagon’s abortion policy, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer allegedly killed the amendment before it could be considered. As Congress negotiates the specifics of the NDAA, Heritage Action is threatening to oppose the bill if it does not include language to eliminate the Pentagon’s unlawful abortion policy. This potential opposition represents a significant move for the conservative organization, as it would mark the first time in nearly a decade that Heritage Action has fought against the final passage of the defense package.
In addition to addressing the abortion policy, Heritage Action is calling for language in the NDAA that bans Chinese land purchases, restricts American capital flowing to the Chinese military, and severs ties with dangerous research labs that have contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker emphasized the need for the military to focus on defeating foreign enemies rather than being used for political battles at home.
The outcome of this issue remains uncertain, as negotiations over the NDAA continue. However, Heritage Action’s stance demonstrates the organization’s commitment to defending conservative principles and opposing policies it deems as detrimental to the nation’s values and interests.
