Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, is voicing objections to the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the U.S. House on July 14, by a vote of 219-210, saying she looks forward to negotiations with the Senate’s version of the bill, where the issue will be discussed further.
Peltola said she feels those in military service are equal citizens and have the same rights to privacy and choice in their medical decisions as every other American should have.
“We shouldn’t be pitting pay raises that they deserve against the reproductive freedoms that they also deserve,” she said. “That is a false choice, created for purely political reasons.”
The congresswoman said she will advocate strongly to return to the bipartisan, policy-focused bill that came out of the House committee, and will gladly vote for a bill “that fully protects our troops and their families.”
Peltola said the defense bill that was on the floor for a vote on July 14 was not the same bipartisan bill that came out of committee.
“House leadership let the most extreme members of Congress load it up with amendments designed to create political attack ads while removing access to health care for millions of Americans who are employed by the Department of Defense, and their families,” she said.
