https://www.newsweek.com/military-new-abortion-policy-outrages-republicans-1782119Republican lawmakers are expressing their outrage with the military's newest policy that allows service members to request time off to receive reproductive health care without loss of pay.
These new healthcare policies come as part of DOD's "Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care" memorandum that was released last October after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade.
A Defense Department spokesperson told Newsweek that this policy "not only ensures that Service members and their families are afforded time and flexibility to make personal and private health care decisions" but also "ensures Service members are able to access care regardless of where they are stationed."
Upon approval from their commanders, service members may be granted up to 21 days leave to access non-covered reproductive health care or to accompany a dual-military spouse or a dependent to access care. Service members will not be charged leave and travel and transportation expenses may also be covered by the military.
Such reproductive health care includes abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg retrieval. This policy now extends to non-covered abortions, which are elective procedures in which the life of the mother is not endangered nor is the pregnancy a result of rape or incest.
The DOD has also changed its privacy policy, allowing service members up to 20 weeks to notify their commanders of a pregnancy.
While the Pentagon hopes these changes will afford more flexibility to service members to make health care decisions, many Republican lawmakers are accusing the military of pushing a "woke agenda."
I can't believe the Republican Party would be so un-American as to oppose our military and our troops. Who would want to strip healthcare from our troops and question the military's policies except for liberal hippie freaks who want the bad guys to win???
