WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., celebrated Friday the Pentagon’s reversal of its policy that covered the travel costs for service members or their family members to get an abortion.
Tuberville said his 11-month-long hold on senior military promotions in 2023 over the policy was “worth it” now that it has been reversed.
“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,” Tuberville said in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked Tuberville for his leadership on the issue in a post on X Friday.
The reversal came from a Department of Defense memo. The previous policy did not pay for the cost of an abortion, according to the Associated Press. It was instituted to help cover the costs associated with some service members having to travel out of state for abortions after some states, including Alabama, had abortion restrictions go into effect after the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, called it a “great day for our nation” in a post on X celebrating the reversal.
While Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-NJ, a Navy veteran, said she went “toe-to-toe” with Tuberville to keep the policy in place and said the decision will endanger servicewomen.
“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,” Sherrill said in a statement.