Following Vasquez’s Calls, the National Defense Authorization Act Removes Anti-Choice Amendments
The final version of the NDAA removes restrictions on access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Thursday, December 7, 2023, following the release of the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) applauded the removal of harmful anti-choice and discriminatory amendments the GOP included in the House-passed version of the bill.
“I urged House and Senate leadership to ensure service members can make their own health care decisions alongside their doctors - not the United States Congress,” said Vasquez. “My top priority is and always will be to deliver for the second district while upholding New Mexico’s values. Reproductive care is health care, and I will continue to protect reproductive rights.”
Vasquez called on House and Senate leadership to ensure the House Republicans’ egregious provisions were not included in the final defense bill. Vasquez is pleased that the extremist amendments were removed. Following the filing of the final version of the NDAA, both chambers must now vote to pass the bill before it can be sent to President Biden for his signature.
Specifically, Vasquez called on leadership to remove prohibitions on the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing travel expenses relating to abortion services and prohibitions on providing gender transition services, gender reassignment surgeries, and other forms of gender-affirming care for service members and their dependents.
Vasquez added, “The discriminatory amendments targeting the LGBTQ+ community have been removed. Our trans service members are equally deserving of quality care. Restricting any of our service members’ access to essential health care is a disservice to them & their commitment to our country. I’m proud that the final version of this bill protects access to reproductive health care and supports our LGBTQ+ service members.”
On September 20, Vasquez voted to direct conferees to remove the prohibition on the Department of Defense reimbursing expenses for service members traveling to receive reproductive health care services.
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