Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), an Air Force veteran, slammed a majority of House Republicans on Thursday over their opposition to a Pentagon policy that reimburses service members for costs associated with travel to get an abortion.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) introduced an amendment, which was later adopted via a 214-207 vote, to the annual defense bill as she looked to the measure as a way to “return” to “protections” of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds on abortions.
“While my colleagues on the other side are taking the anti-woman stance of incentivizing abortions, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to not only follow the law, enforce the law, but to do so while protecting the most vulnerable, the unborn,” Van Duyne said.
A pair of Republicans — Reps. John Duarte (R-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) — voted against the amendment, while one Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) — backed it.
Houlahan said it “truly saddens” her to have returned to the House floor “yet again” to have the same conversation with lawmakers as she had last year.
“Standing before this chamber as a woman, yet again. A woman who has actually served and actually worn a uniform and actually was a mother in uniform,” Houlahan said.
She added that she’s defending service members’ right to seek medical care when they’re serving the country before taking aim at GOP lawmakers.
“I’m sick and tired of members who have never served telling service members, the same service members they are proud to publicly express their purported support for, that they don’t deserve the financial or otherwise freedom to seek the medical care that they and their family members deserve and need when they need it,” Houlahan said.
The Pennsylvania Democrat later knocked lawmakers who served but “still don’t wish” to afford the ability for current service members to seek reproductive services.
“We should be supporting our family service members, not hindering them,” said Houlahan, who cited the MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act, which would expand abortion access.
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