On the recordSeptember 20, 2022
I thank Congresswoman Speier for organizing this Special Order Hour to highlight how state abortion restrictions impact our nation's brave servicemembers and their families. The military is a male-dominated institution where women make up only 20 percent of active-duty forces, and significantly less at senior leadership levels. As a result, women's healthcare needs are cast aside. TRICARE doesn't cover abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the mother's life, forcing servicemembers to leave the military base to seek reproductive care. With the upending of Roe, servicemembers in states that restrict abortion must travel even further on their own dime to seek basic reproductive healthcare, risking their career and standing in the ranks. This is outrageous and wholly unacceptable. It sacrifices the readiness of our troops and perpetuates a discriminatory environment for women in the military. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Congresswoman Speier's legislation, the MARCH for Servicemembers Act, to remove the statutory ban on military treatment facilities providing abortion services and Department of Defense funds being used to perform abortions. I believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every American who wears a uniform to defend our country has the health services, opportunities, and care they need and deserve. This is a promise we must keep, and I certainly will.
