Press Releases

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Votes Against Legislation To Cut Military Construction, Limit Women’s Access to Abortion

Washington, D.C., June 5, 2024

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted against the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025, H.R. 8580, a partisan government funding bill that fails our veterans, harms our military readiness, worsens the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, and further limits women’s access to abortion.

“It appears that the House leadership has learned nothing from the last year’s appropriations process,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Rather than work in a bipartisan way to fund military construction projects and provide essential funding for servicemembers, veterans, and their families, House Republicans again brought to the floor a bill that politicizes our military and fails our servicemembers.  Our servicemembers and veterans have fought and made sacrifices for our freedom, and as lawmakers, it is critical that we protect theirs.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill today.” 

If enacted, H.R. 8580 would: 

  • Cut critical funding for military construction projects by more than $718 million compared to last year, worsening the quality of life and safety of U.S. servicemembers and their families and impacting our military readiness, recruitment, and retention;
  • Cut more than $30 million in funding for military installation climate change and resilience projects, leaving our national security and servicemembers unable to adapt to rising sea levels and vulnerable to natural disasters;
  • Further restrict women’s access to abortion by overturning a VA rule that allows servicemembers, veterans, and families access to abortion and abortion counseling;
  • Prohibit the VA from providing gender-affirming care to our transgender veterans, which is critical for the health of our transgender veterans and undermine military recruitment;
  • Restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and provide a license to discriminate against LGTBTQ+ veterans under the guise of religious freedom; 
  • Undermine the ability to keep guns out of the hands of those federally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms who could cause harm to themselves or others; and
  • Repeat the same tactics attempted by House Republicans last year to include partisan changes to existing laws, known as “riders,” that disenfranchise and hurt our veterans.