Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I rise with the strongest possible opposition to this amendment prohibiting assistance to Ukraine. This represents the most extreme and shortsighted position of some of the Members of the House of Representatives, particularly Republicans, with respect to global security. Too many have tried to stop or strip funding from Ukraine whenever they literally have the chance to, and here is yet another example.

This amendment, like others that were considered and failed last year and this year, is misguided and against the will of the American people. Thus, it is against the will of the legislative body. Indeed, in April we overwhelmingly voted to support Ukraine, 311-112-1, not even close, which further proves the very unseriousness and waste of time of this amendment.

What some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle fail to recognize and to appreciate is that not only does the American public support Ukraine, but that supporting Ukraine actually, indeed, helps the American public by avoiding further instability in Europe just miles from NATO. It, indeed, deters war. This amendment would irreversibly hurt our posture on the world stage. I urge Members to oppose it.

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.

Mr. Chairman, it truly saddens me to be here yet again having the same conversation we had last year, yet again standing before this Chamber as a woman, yet again a woman who has actually served and actually worn a uniform and actually was a mother in uniform. Here I am yet again defending our servicewomen's and -men's rights to seek the medical care that they need when they are serving our country.

I am sick and tired of Members who have never served telling servicemembers, the same servicemembers that they are proud to publicly express their purported support for, that they don't deserve the financial or otherwise freedom to seek the medical care that they and their family members deserve and need when they need it.

To those who have served in uniform, and most of them are men who are here on this floor, and still don't wish to afford servicemembers the ability to seek reproductive care, I am enormously disappointed with them, as well.

We all know how difficult military life is. If a woman in uniform or member of a family who is in uniform says it is not the right time, perhaps, to start a family, or she has a medical reason or otherwise, it is her----

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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, it is her decision alone on what to do here. That is why I introduced the MARCH for Servicemembers Act, which would, in fact, expand access to abortion services at military treatment facilities.

We should be supporting our family servicemembers, not hindering them.

Mr. Chair, I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment and the overall bill if it passes.

Ms. VAN DUYNE. Mr. Chair, the language in this bill is very straightforward. It would simply roll back Biden's illegal DOD abortion travel policy issued under the October 22 memorandum, returning DOD to the practice in place for decades, under which both Democratic and Republican administrations have agreed.

This amendment has absolutely nothing to do with preventing people from getting medical care. Abortion is not medical care for the baby. It is a brutal procedure that ends the lives of unborn children through suction, dismemberment, or chemical poisoning.

The Biden administration has made taxpayer funding available for abortion at any stage of pregnancy, even for late-term abortions that inflict excruciating pain and suffering on the child. This human rights abuse should not be paid for or encouraged by the U.S. Government.

Abortion is also not medical care for the mother. Abortion can lead to significant physical complications for women and has serious mental health risks. A recent study found that over 60 percent of women who have had abortions report high levels of pressure.

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