The Pentagon Announces It Will Refuse to Follow Any State Laws Restricting Abortion Access
"They cannot get abortions at military medical facilities, and federal law also prevents troops from using their Tricare health insurance... unless the life of the mother is at risk"...
The Pentagon has made the announcement that it will refuse to recognize any abortion laws springing from the Supreme Court's decision that there is no guaranteed right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a statement on on Friday regarding the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
"Nothing is more important to me or to this Department than the health and well-being of our Service members, the civilian workforce and DOD families," the Pentagon chief announced. "I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force. The Department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law."
Politico reported that the Department of Defense does not yet have "any policy to announce for accommodating female service members stationed in states that have outlawed abortion," officials tell NatSec Daily.
"Female troops seeking the procedure already face steep hurdles to getting the care they need: They cannot get abortions at military medical facilities, and federal law also prevents troops from using their Tricare health insurance to cover the cost of the procedures at private facilities, unless the life of the mother is at risk due to the Hyde Amendment," Politico added.
“The biggest challenge currently is the lack of complete freedom to travel when you want to travel without having to get permission from a supervisor,” former Air Force JAG officer and Southwestern law professor Rachel Vanlandingham said. “Now, women serving here stateside are going to be subject to the whims [of the states] that they are involuntarily assigned to.”
It is not lost on Americans, however, that the same Pentagon that summarily discharged servicemembers for failing to comply with a Covid-19 vaccine mandate has announced it will ignore state laws and suddenly respect the bodily autonomy of female servicemembers.
The Department of Defense dismissed most religious objections to the Covid vaccine mandate and the superior protection provided by natural immunity in order to coercively 'vaccinate' servicemembers with mRNA shots that do not stop the spread of the virus.
The Department of Justice also issued a statement that it will also ignore the Supreme Court's ruling and state laws that may criminalize abortion provision.
“Today, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and held that the right to abortion is no longer protected by the Constitution," Attorney General Merrick Garland stated.
“The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women’s liberty for half a century – a right that has safeguarded women’s ability to participate fully and equally in society," the statement continued. "And in renouncing this fundamental right, which it had repeatedly recognized and reaffirmed, the Court has upended the doctrine of stare decisis, a key pillar of the rule of law."
Stare decisis, however, is not the law. If this were the case, the Dred Scott ruling and Plessy v. Ferguson would be established law.
“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Court’s decision," the statement went on. "This decision deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States. It will have an immediate and irreversible impact on the lives of people across the country. And it will be greatly disproportionate in its effect – with the greatest burdens felt by people of color and those of limited financial means."
“But today’s decision does not eliminate the ability of states to keep abortion legal within their borders," Garland added. "And the Constitution continues to restrict states’ authority to ban reproductive services provided outside their borders."
“We recognize that traveling to obtain reproductive care may not be feasible in many circumstances. But under bedrock constitutional principles, women who reside in states that have banned access to comprehensive reproductive care must remain free to seek that care in states where it is legal," he continued. "Moreover, under fundamental First Amendment principles, individuals must remain free to inform and counsel each other about the reproductive care that is available in other states."
“The Justice Department will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom," Garland added.
The radical politicization of the United States government is thoroughly complete when the Department of Justice and the Pentagon can announce that it will ignore the authority of the judicial branch and state governments. This is a dangerous form of corruption that poses a direct threat to the rule of law.
Empty meaningless words, but wonderful virtue signaling!
Not surprising. Killing babies is pretty much SOP for the Pentagon.