Update: 2/11/2025; This story was updated after publication to note that the Pentagon carved out an exception to its travel ban for those seeking in-vitro fertilization treatment.
Troops will no longer get military funding to travel out of state for abortions after a policy that became a political lightning rod was revoked.
The previous policy, approved under President Joe Biden’s administration after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, authorized funding for service members and their dependents to travel to states where abortion procedures are legal. The policy also allowed troops to travel and access other reproductive health care not covered under their military TRICARE insurance.
The DoD announced that as of Feb. 4, the travel policy could be used for military families to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The previous policy ban had included abortions and other reproductive care like IVF.
“Such travel helps to ensure that service members and their dependents can access care regardless of where they are stationed,” the previous policy stated.
That policy was in effect until a Jan. 29 memo officially took away access to those funds. The rescinded policy is in accordance with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 24 Executive Order, Enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funds from being spent on an “elective abortion,” according to the Pentagon memo.
Pentagon officials previously said that the travel funds were not widely used and that between June and December 2023, only 12 service members used the program, which cost roughly $40,000.
Political battles over the policy were highlighted during Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on hundreds of military nominations in 2023. The holds led to unfilled senior posts at major units, postponed retirements, station-change orders and impacts on military families. After 10 months, Tuberville lifted the hold.
In a statement Friday, Tuberville said he “took a lot of heat” for holding up the nominations, adding “as of today, it was all worth it.”
“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth affirmed today what I’ve been fighting for since I got to Washington: zero taxpayer dollars should go towards abortions. Under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon will once again be focused on lethality, not pushing a political agenda,” Tuberville said.
Iraq War veteran and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Allison Jaslow said their organization’s 2023 veteran survey revealed 68% in support of allowing troops to use the policy versus 20% of respondents who did not support it.
“What’s worse is that the new administration isn’t just targeting those seeking abortion care, but servicemembers and their dependents seeking fertility care,” Jaslow said in a release.
“Our men and women in the military and their families deserve access to the same type of reproductive care that their fellow Americans do, regardless of where our commander in chief has ordered them to go. Period. This change in policy should offend us all. Those who’re serving and sacrificing for us deserve so much better.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a release that the policy would impact the military’s recruitment and retention challenges, especially for women across the branches.
“We should do all we can to assure those who answer the call to serve America that we will do everything in our power to support them and their families,” Shaheen said. “Instead, this extreme action does the opposite and sends a message to servicewomen—who make up more than 17% of our military’s active duty — that they are not as valuable as their male counterparts.”
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