Houston Republic

On July 14, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, H.R. 2670, which includes a number of Republican poison pill provisions, including one to restrict reproductive freedom for service members and their dependents.

“I am deeply disappointed that the Republican majority has 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, as I have in prior years.  But the amendments added to the bill are deeply problematic, undermining efforts to meet the needs of our service members and their families, especially women.  The Jackson Amendment stripping service members’ access to reproductive health care is an affront to the women in the United States military, 23,000 of whom are stationed in Texas.  While these women fight for and defend our freedom, House Republicans have just voted to take away theirs.  For these reasons and more, I voted no today.”  

In previous years, Congresswoman Fletcher has joined her colleagues on both sides of the aisle in voting for the NDAA, including in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.  Last month, before Republican provisions were added to H.R. 2670, the bill passed out of the Armed Services Committee by a vote of 58-1, demonstrating strong bipartisan support.  This week, Republicans added problematic provisions to the legislation that hurt servicemembers 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. 

Prior to the vote on H.R. 2670, Congresswoman Fletcher spoke during debate on the House floor.

Original source can be found here.