Pentagon ends paying for travel for abortion and other reproductive care

The Pentagon has rescinded a Biden administration policy that reimbursed service members and dependents for travel to states where abortion and other reproductive health procedures are legal.

The Pentagon’s Defense Travel Management Office issued the memo on Wednesday, ending reimbursements immediately.

The move, which is already drawing criticism from women in Congress, reverses a 2023 policy enacted under then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after the repeal of Roe v Wade. The policy provided paid leave and travel reimbursement for troops and their families who had to cross state lines because they were stationed in a state where abortion and other reproductive care, such as in vitro fertilization, was not offered by the military, was outlawed or was unavailable.

At the time Republicans argued the move was an effort to circumvent federal laws that prohibit taxpayer money from being used to fund abortions. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., held up more than 400 military promotions for months in protest of the policy.

Tuberville praised the Defense Department's move, writing on X, “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth affirmed today what I’ve been fighting for since I got to Washington: ZERO taxpayer dollars should go towards abortions.”

The Pentagon memo includes an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week about enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which seeks to prevent federal funds from being used to support abortion.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Friday that the move makes troops — and the nation — less safe.

“Our servicemembers go wherever they need to in order to bravely serve our country — and because President Trump’s extremist Supreme Court overturned Roe, where they and their families are stationed quite literally dictates their access to critical reproductive care,” Warren said in a statement. “Now, Trump is turning his back on our servicemembers — and our servicewomen in particular — to score political points. It’s shameful, and will only make our troops and our nation less safe.”

Defense officials have said the number of troops and dependents who have actually used this benefit has been very small.

But Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, said the decision could still endanger women’s lives.

“This is deeply personal to me. I was stationed in states like Texas and Florida, where I wouldn’t have had healthcare access if I was serving today. Now, I have a daughter in the Navy,” Sherrill said in a statement. “We ask our servicewomen to put their lives on the line while serving across the globe to protect our country — they shouldn’t have to risk their lives while stationed in a state with severe abortion bans like Texas or Florida.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com