In the wake of the Defense Department announcing earlier this month that it will cover travel costs for troops and family members seeking abortions, a new Politico report suggests that major defense legislation is no longer on the fast track to being approved in the Senate.

“Republicans on Capitol Hill claimed the administration was politicizing the military by wading into the abortion debate with weeks to go before an election and siphoning money from top national security needs,” the news outlet wrote. “Now, some GOP lawmakers want to use the Pentagon policy bill to block the post-Roe v. Wade initiative.”

The Defense Department’s memo said that the Pentagon will establish a travel allowance for service members who cross state lines to receive abortions but the cost of the procedure itself will not be covered.

“Our Service members and their families are often required to travel or move to meet our staffing, operational, and training requirements. Such moves should not limit their access to reproductive health care,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote.

He added that the “practical effects of recent changes” would hurt military readiness, referencing the Supreme Court’s decision in June to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to an abortion.

Under current federal law, most abortions are not allowed to be performed at military medical facilities, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the health of the mother is at risk. Service members who want an abortion not related to those categories must seek care outside of the military system. Furthermore, service members’ Tricare health insurance does not cover the cost of getting an abortion privately.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) called the memo “outrageous” and demanded that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) allow votes on amendments that would block the policy.

“With all of the challenges we face globally, DoD needs to make our national security their top priority,” he continued in a statement.

Last week, the top GOP member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), heavily criticized the policy, demanding answers on the origin of Austin’s memo.

“Taxpayer dollars meant for deterring China and other adversaries should not be squandered on campaign politics,” he said, per Politico. “DoD must be blocked from wasting any portion of their budget on this horrendous policy.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted that “partisan policies like this are what I have fought to leave out of the defense bill in the past.”

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Finance and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters.