Beehive State News

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (D-Utah) today criticized the U.S. Department of Defense for the department’s “plan to use federal funds for performing abortions.”

“One thing that does tend to unite Americans more than any other topic within the area of abortion is that we don't want the use of federal taxpayer dollars going to facilitate or fund abortions,” said Lee in a Senate floor speech supporting Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) hold on military promotions over the issue. “So when you're taking money from the point of a gun as you do when you're collecting tax revenue, you've got a sacred responsibility to handle that well, and the American people don't want it. It's why they elected a congress. That has put this in law that we don't use federal funds to fund abortion.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life tweeted in support of Lee’s speech.

“Democrats, Republicans alike believe that it's unfair, understand that it's unjust, to force Americans to fund abortions with their tax dollars,” said the tweet. “Thank you @BasedMikeLee for speaking up for life and the will of the American people.”

In October 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a memo with “policies to ensure access to non-covered reproductive care.” Among other policies, the memo said that, “travel and transportation allowances may be authorized for Service members and dependents to travel to access non-covered reproductive health care.”

“The efforts taken by the Department today will not only ensure that Service members and their families are afforded time and flexibility to make private health care decisions, but will also ensure Service members are able to access non-covered reproductive health care regardless of where they are stationed,” said the memo.

In a November 2022 letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Tuberville and eight other members of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee said the department’s memo “announced significant policy changes related to the prevention and termination of a pregnancy.”

“The policies the Department outlined would force taxpayers to subsidize abortions by paying for service members to travel to another state to obtain the procedure, and by granting additional leave for this purpose,” said the letter. “Facilitating a service member’s abortion in this way not only violates the spirit of 10 U.S.C. § 1093, which prohibits DOD from funding elective abortions; it also departs from the Department’s historic interpretation of its travel authorities in 37 U.S.C. §§ 452 and 453. These regulations authorize official travel for many activities, but notably say nothing about funding travel to receive an elective abortion. This is because Congress never intended for these authorities to be used to facilitate abortion.”

Lee followed up his speech with a series of tweets.

“1. Federal law prohibits the Pentagon from using federal funds or facilities to perform abortions. @SecDef is trying to circumvent that law by providing travel expenses and three weeks of paid leave to military women seeking abortions,” tweeted Lee. “2. If @SecDef wants to change the law, he should run for Congress. 3. @SecDef can’t legislate from the E ring of the Pentagon.”

Lee was first elected to represent Utah in the U.S. Senate in the November 2011 election. After defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) in the Republican Primary, Lee defeated Democrat Sam Granato in the General Election. Lee received 62% of the vote to Grant’s 33%. Constitution Party candidate Scott Bradley received 6% of the vote.

Lee graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and received his J.D. from Brigham Young University Law School. He previously worked as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.