CNN anchor and GOP rep clash over who’s really ‘politicizing’ military abortions

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins appeared to defend the military’s abortion policy during an interview with Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) on Monday.

According to Newsbusters, the two were discussing President Biden’s decision to halt the previous administration’s intent to move space command to Alabama. Aderholt told Collins he hoped the decision wasn’t driven by Alabama’s abortion laws as that would be a politicized decision. 

“I don’t want us to go down a road of where we’re making military decisions, based on politics,” he said on “The Source with Kaitlan Collins.”

Collins responded by suggesting Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) was politicizing the military by refusing to confirm defense nominees until the Pentagon changed its policy of reimbursing travel for abortions. 

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​​“If you don’t think that politics should play a role in military decisions, does that mean you disagree with what Senator Tuberville is doing right now, by holding up military nominations, because he doesn’t like the Pentagon’s abortion policy?” she asked.

Aderholt argued that Tuberville was responding to the Biden administration politicizing the military. 

“You’ve got to remember it never was the policy of the Pentagon that you pay — abortion was always — was never on the table,” he said.

“And so, the Biden administration brought politics into the mix. And that’s why Tuberville has been responding the way he has. He is pushing back with the Administration and saying, you know, ‘Let’s not play politics with this.’ And so, they were the ones that started it. If he had never put the policy in, where they pay for travel on abortions, then this issue would never come up.”

For some reason, Collins responded that the military was paying for travel, not the abortions themselves – even though that’s actually what Aderholt said.

“So, they’re not directly paying for abortions,” she said. “They say they’re doing that because if a servicemember, they don’t get to decide where they’re stationed. If they’re stationed in Alabama, they have no choice but to have to travel, to make that decision.”

Aderholt responded. “Well, the bottom line is the taxpayer dollars are going toward abortion. And, you know, Kaitlan, you know, there’s a lot of people in this country including myself that just doesn’t feel comfortable that taxpayer dollars are going toward any way, directly or indirectly, toward abortion.”

As Live Action News previously noted, House Republicans passed a defense authorization bill last month with an amendment blocking the Pentagon’s decision to reimburse abortion travel.

On Feb. 16, the Defense Department issued its policy providing 21 days of paid leave for individuals and dependents of those who receive non-covered abortions. “Covered abortions” are those the military funds and include situations where the life of the mother is considered to be in danger or involving a pregnancy that resulted from rape or incest (The Hyde Amendment prevents taxpayer funding for other abortions). The military’s policy also opened the possibility of travel and transportation allowances while clarifying that “[t]he non-covered reproductive health care is at the Service member’s expense.”

It’s unclear how many abortions would result, but the Rand Corporation said one of its surveys indicated “as many as 4,100 active-duty U.S. service women seek abortion care each year.”