U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan was among 27 GOP senators who signed a letter demanding that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin cease the practice of paying for military members to travel to pro-abortion states to kill their unborn babies.
The Nov. 13 letter was sent the same day pro-lifers protested outside Sullivan’s Fairbanks and Anchorage offices due to the senator’s opposition to the efforts of Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has been attempting to end military abortion travel funds. Tuberville’s strategy has included blocking unanimous voice votes on military promotions until the military discontinues its abortion funding policy.
Typically, the Senate approves military promotions en masse, but Tuberville has forced the Senate to vote on each nominee, which includes hundreds of officers.
Sullivan was one among several GOP Senators, including Nikki Haley, Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham, who have opposed Tuberville’s strategy, claiming it puts the military’s readiness in jeopardy.
In the letter sent to the Secretary of Defense, however, these senators signaled that, while they oppose Tuberville’s approach, they do support the end of military-funded abortions.
The letter blasted Austin for politicizing the military and causing the Tuberville showdown in the first place.
The letter noted that four days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Austin released a memo stating that the DOD was authorized to pay for government funded travel for soldiers who want to travel to pro-abortion states to kill their pre-born babies.
The DOD memo was issued despite the fact that federal law prohibits the use of taxpayer funded abortions for military members.
“All legislative power is vested in Congress, and the Executive branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing the law,” the senators reminded Austin. “While the Department may issue regulations, it can only do so under the laws authorized and enacted by Congress. But, Congress never authorized the Department to expend funds to facilitate abortions and, until the Policy was issued, the military never facilitated abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother would be endangered if the unborn child were carried to term.”
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“Now taxpayers – many of whom have deeply-held religious and moral objections to abortions – are on the hook to facilitate the very abortions they fundamentally oppose,” the letter added.
The senators blamed the abortion policy for the controversy surrounding Tuberville’s strategy of blocking military nominations.
“Your decision to issue the Policy politicized the military and placed the wants of a few over the needs of the entire nation,” the senators stated. “Do the right thing. Rescind the Policy now.”
Sullivan, who has received harsh criticism for opposing Tuberville’s attempt to force the DOD to resist the abortion policy, has said he opposes abortion funding, and believes it is illegal.
15 Comments
The military is not FUNDING abortion. It’s just that with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many women in the military find themselves stationed in states where abortion is now banned, so the military is helping them TRAVEL in order to get the care they need.
Trump’s three Supreme Court appointees swore up and down that Roe v. Wade was “precedent” and “settled law,” blah blah blah. THEN, as soon as they had the opportunity, they overturned it. And NOW look what we’re left with.
There are many women who would never choose to have an abortion, maybe even publicly describing themselves as “pro-life” ….. who nevertheless were made just a bit discomfited by the Dobbs decision, because suddenly women in red states found themselves losing a BIG measure of their self-determination in ways that men simply have no frame of reference for.
And recently Ohio became only the SEVENTH state that the anti-abortion people have lost when the issue was put to a popular vote. Is this the hill Republicans want to die on?
Defending the lives of innocent children is a hill any decent person would want to die on.
Regarding “self-determination”: If you don’t want to become a mother, don’t engage in the activity which begets human life. It’s pretty simple. If you become pregnant, you are a mother. Aside from instances of rape, you have self-determined motherhood as your state of being. Abortion doesn’t make you “un-pregnant,” it makes you the mother of a dead baby.
Well said
Agree
Totally agree. We have Sullivan who wants this taken care of with the military but doesn’t care about abortions in the general population. He is following Murkowsi’s support of abortion–the killing of unborn babies.
The Abortion Survivors Network is an eye opening group. Babies that survived horrors of Abortion and were either raised by their birth parents or adopted out. Really amazing stories and testimonies of what abortion really is.
Something else to consider, we have more advanced ultrasounds these days than we did at the time of Roe/Dobbs. It’s a fact that baby’s heart starts beating in the 5th week of life inside the womb. You can hear it by ultrasound. Baby is much more than a clump of cells, like many would like to believe. Those who are pro Abortion are ignoring the facts of life. At every stage of growth, that “clump of cells” is a living human being. Abortion doesn’t solve the trauma or the problem, it just takes one of the lives involved. Adoption is the answer to an unwanted baby.
Clueless Chuck, the NPR troll, defending the indefensible from his Throne atop Mt. Olympus in West Virginia. He is quite sanctimonious about OBEYING THE LAW when it cuts in the direction he likes, but makes weak and plaintive excuses for disobeying it when it does not. Is there a Progressive dart board somewhere, telling various volunteers (or perhaps they are paid?) where they have been assigned? Chuck’s throw drew “Alaska”. Then it was between MRAK or The Watchman. That took a coin flip.
Calm down.
I am pretty sure you started it
Senator Sullivan changing his position showed he would listen to constituents when pressed. This was a miracle! Senator Tuberville is a hero for his stand among others who do not stand for anything. There is a right and a wrong. The US Constitution protects “life” as a citizen’s “first right”. Without life there cannot be liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Bible is clear about this. God said “Thou Shalt Not Kill” as one of His Commandments incorporated into the criminal code which added to America’s Greatness. We need to repent collectively as a church in America and ask for forgiveness. Read II Chronicles 7:14 over and over until we get it and humble ourselves and change from our wicked ways as a church and as individuals. Our Holy Bible is our “manual for life issues”, and a “love letter”. This precious book defines right and wrong. We have been warned about false teachers and false ideologies throughout the New Testament. We are ridiculed for declaring Truth and for following our Commission. Truth exists whether you believe in it or not and Christ is Truth. The Bible is Truth. Pray for truth and repentance for America.
Ewigs: “Truth exists whether you believe in it or not and Christ is Truth. The Bible is Truth.” This kind of Christian arrogance is one of the reasons people are bailing on you myth.
You don’t believe in truth? No truth at all in your life? Sympathy.
Oh Elizabeth, such a feeble response belittles your intelligence. What do you want me to say -that nothing is true? How could you or I exist without the assurance of true things. Think about your response and try again.
It’s not arrogance to recognize the existence of objective truth. At the end of the day, it is illogical to assert that “truth” can be or is subjective.
It IS arrogance to cite mythology as truth. I suppose there can be both objective and subjective truth.