Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), H.R. 8070, because it includes a number of poison pill provisions, including one to restrict reproductive freedom for service members and their dependents.

“I am deeply disappointed that the Republican members of the House once again turned a bipartisan bill to fund our national defense and support our men and women in uniform into a deeply partisan bill that harms members of our military and their families,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “I intended to support the NDAA after it passed out of the Armed Services Committee on a 57-1 bipartisan vote, as I have in prior years.  But the amendments added to the bill on the floor are deeply problematic, undermining efforts to meet the needs of our service members and their families, especially women.  The Van Duyne Amendment stripping service members’ access to reproductive health care is an affront to the women in the United States military.  While these women fight for and defend our freedom, House Republicans take away theirs.  For these reasons and more, I voted no today.”  

In previous Congresses, Congresswoman Fletcher has joined her colleagues on both sides of the aisle in voting for the NDAA, including in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.  Earlier this month, before Republican provisions were added to H.R. 8070, the bill passed out of the Armed Services Committee by a vote of 57-1, demonstrating strong bipartisan support.  This week, Republicans added provisions to the bill that would hurt service members and their families.

Congresswoman Fletcher is a leader in the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and has led several efforts to protect access to abortion.  She is the lead House sponsor of the bill to protect the right to travel between states to obtain an abortion, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 782, which passed the House in the last Congress, and which she reintroduced this year.