Defense department to pay travel expenses of service members, dependents seeking abortions
The Defense Department will pick up travel costs for service members and their dependents who might be forced to cross state lines for reproductive healthcare
The Defense Department will pick up travel costs for service members and their dependents who might be forced to cross state lines for reproductive healthcare needs, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The Supreme Court's ruling — which took away constitutional protections for women to seek abortions, no matter the state they reside — created an "hardship" or "emergency" circumstance for many service members, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in memo released on Thursday.
U.S. Air ForceHe ordered the Defense Department to: "Establish travel and transportation allowances for Service members and their dependents, as appropriate and consistent with applicable federal law and operational requirements, and as necessary amend any applicable travel regulations, to facilitate official travel to access noncovered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service member's permanent duty station."
The Department of Defense is seeking to “reduce the burden and cost” to service members who are stationed in states where such reproductive procedures are no longer legal, according to the Pentagon’s press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Pentagon policy about reproductive healthcare is still an ongoing issue.
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