House Republicans have successfully passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would block the Pentagon from reimbursing military members who have to travel out of state to undergo an abortion.
The amendment, which passed on a 221-213 vote, was rejected by all but one Democratic member of the House—Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, an outspoken abortion opponent—sided with his Republican colleagues Thursday afternoon.
A GOP-backed measure to block the Pentagon from covering gender-affirming care for military families also passed on Thursday. Both amendments could spell trouble later on for the defense bill, which will require Democratic support in order to move past the narrowly divided House.
Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, right, is pictured November 30, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Cuellar broke with his party on Thursday to back an amendment that would ban the Pentagon from covering abortion travel expenses. Drew Angerer/Getty
The Department of Defense (DoD) first announced changes to its health care policies in the fall, just three months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Under the new guidelines, service members and their dependents are reimbursed for any expenses they incur while traveling to receive an abortion. Military members can also request time off without loss of pay to receive reproductive health care.
Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, who backed the amendment, tweeted after Thursday’s vote that undoing the DoD’s policy on abortion care was
The One Democrat Who Voted With Republicans to Block Military Abortions
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