Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), an Air Power veteran, slammed a majority of Home Republicans on Thursday over their opposition to a Pentagon coverage that reimburses service members for prices related to journey to get an abortion.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) launched an modification, which was later adopted through a 214-207 vote, to the annual protection invoice as she seemed to the measure as a technique to “return” to “protections” of the Hyde Modification, which prohibits the usage of federal funds on abortions.
“Whereas my colleagues on the opposite aspect are taking the anti-woman stance of incentivizing abortions, I urge my colleagues to assist this commonsense modification to not solely comply with the regulation, implement the regulation, however to take action whereas defending essentially the most weak, the unborn,” Van Duyne mentioned.
A pair of Republicans — Reps. John Duarte (R-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) — voted in opposition to the modification, whereas one Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) — backed it.
Houlahan mentioned it “really saddens” her to have returned to the Home flooring “but once more” to have the identical dialog with lawmakers as she had final yr.
“Standing earlier than this chamber as a girl, but once more. A girl who has really served and really worn a uniform and really was a mom in uniform,” Houlahan mentioned.
She added that she’s defending service members’ proper to hunt medical care after they’re serving the nation earlier than taking intention at GOP lawmakers.
“I’m sick and bored with members who’ve by no means served telling service members, the identical service members they’re proud to publicly specific their purported assist for, that they don’t deserve the monetary or in any other case freedom to hunt the medical care that they and their members of the family deserve and want after they want it,” Houlahan mentioned.
The Pennsylvania Democrat later knocked lawmakers who served however “nonetheless don’t want” to afford the power for present service members to hunt reproductive companies.
“We ought to be supporting our household service members, not hindering them,” mentioned Houlahan, who cited the MARCH for Army Servicemembers Act, which might increase abortion entry.