Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 14, 2023 / 15:24 pm
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one without House amendments that would have banned military spending on abortion and sex change surgeries.
The compromise NDAA was approved by the House on Thursday by an overwhelming 310-118 vote, with 73 Republicans and 45 Democrats voting against the package. The package will now be sent to President Joe Biden for signing.
The decision to drop the pro-life amendment from the NDAA comes as a blow to pro-life efforts to stop the military’s use of tax dollars to facilitate abortion.
Under a current military policy laid out by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in October 2022, the military provides paid leave and reimbursement for travel expenses for service members seeking to obtain abortions. The policy also covers travel costs for military spouses and dependents.