July 19, 2023

House Passes Passes Amendments to Defund Abortions in Department of Defense

Rep Ronny Jackson (R-TX)
On July 13, pro-life legislators in the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with the Jackson Amendment; preventing the Department of Defense (DOD) from using funds to pay the abortion travel expenses of military members and dependents.

After Roe was repealed, the Biden administration instituted a new policy directing the DOD to use funds to pay the transportation expenses of military members and dependents who travel out of pro-life states to obtain elective abortions in pro-abortion states.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) introduced the amendment to correct this (illegal) policy. It was passed by a vote of 221-213.

The Jackson Amendment:
  • Clarifies and explains federal law (10 U.S.C. § 1093) that prevents DOD funding from being used to perform elective abortions and prohibits DOD facilities from being used to provide abortions.
  • Repeals the October 20, 2022 memorandum.
  • Amends federal law to clarify that the DOD may not pay for the licensure of healthcare professionals in a state if the purpose is to provide abortions.
The NDAA is a spending package that must be passed every year to set the military budget for the next fiscal year. The House and Senate will each pass their own versions of the spending package. After that, Congress will reconcile the differences and submit the bill to the president for signature.

“We praise House GOP leadership for their work in preventing taxpayer funds from illegally being used to pay for or reimburse expenses related to abortion travel,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “The Biden Administration has shown repeatedly that it thinks taxpayers are a never-ending source of funds for its abortion agenda. The Jackson Amendment in the NDAA prevents the Biden Administration from circumventing established law.”