WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Sherrill’s Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act Will Protect Abortion Rights for Servicewomen Nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC — Last week, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), along with Reps. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Jason Crow (CO-06), reintroduced the Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act, legislation to ensure that servicewomen and military families can travel for abortion care if they are stationed in states with extreme abortion bans. 

Sherrill’s legislation has earned endorsements and robust support from abortion advocates, medical professionals, and service member advocacy organizations nationwide. Continue reading to hear from leaders in the field why this legislation is critical to protecting the health and lives of servicewomen and military family members:

“This should not be up for debate: Service members and their families deserve access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion and fertility care. As they fight for our freedoms, they too should have the freedom to control whether, when, and how they build their families. To truly support our service members and military families, we must protect and expand their access to the health care they need, when they need it, free from political interference. We thank Reps. Sherrill, Escobar, Houlahan, and Crow for reintroducing this critical legislation to ensure military families have greater access to reproductive health care,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

“Our service members already deal with unique barriers to abortion care, and Pete Hegseth has wasted no time using his position at the Department of Justice to attack reproductive freedom by rolling back policies that eased those burdens. Rep. Sherrill’s timing for introducing this legislation could not be better, and it is imperative that this bill is passed quickly to make sure servicemembers can make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and families,” said Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju.

"Everyone deserves access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, including our service members. As physicians, we understand that eliminating delays and barriers to care is a key part of safeguarding our basic human right to bodily autonomy. We applaud the steps this bill takes to ensure that servicemembers have meaningful access to abortion and fertility care,” said Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and OB/GYN in Washington DC.

“Reproductive health care is essential for the health and lives of our patients, and our dedicated servicemembers deserve access to evidence-based care wherever they live. Because of their commitment to serving our country wherever they are called, many servicemembers and their families are stationed in states where abortion is not available to them, and where they may also have difficulty accessing fertility treatments like IVF. ACOG is proud to endorse Representative Mikie Sherrill’s Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act to ensure that servicemembers and their families are able to travel for the essential reproductive health care that they need,” said Stella M. Dantas, MD, FACOG, President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.   

“Research shows that people in the military face unique barriers to access to reproductive health care. Those barriers have increased since the Dobbs decision and surge in state abortion bans, especially in states where many military personnel are stationed. This legislation will ensure people’s access to high-quality, evidence-based, life-saving care is not determined by the fact that someone wants to serve their country or where in the US they may be asked to serve," said Kelly Blanchard, MSc., President of Ibis Reproductive Health.

“Service members should have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies and futures without political interference. Yet they and their loved ones face significant obstacles to accessing reproductive health care—including abortion and fertility care—due to restrictions within the military health system and strict state bans. The chaos caused by the current administration has added to confusion and despair among our service members, who only want what’s best for themselves and their families. The Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act, led by Representatives Sherrill, Escobar, Houlahan, and Crow would help remove these barriers by ensuring service members have the resources to access the care they need,” said Jackii Wang, Senior Legislative Analyst at the National Women’s Law Center.

"Service members dedicate their lives to this country yet often face barriers to accessing medically necessary healthcare due to location assignments and deployment status. The disparity in state laws regarding abortion access raises concerns about equitable healthcare for service members. The Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act addresses a range of medical needs, including those arising from assault, pregnancy complications, or genetic conditions. Our troops deserve access to comprehensive healthcare, which is pivotal to ensuring a ready, resilient, and mission-capable force," said Rachel Branaman, Executive Director of the Modern Military Association of America.

"All people deserve to be able to access the care they need—and this is critical for US military service members who often face unique barriers to accessing abortion care. With abortion banned in 12 states and severely restricted in many others, Guttmacher research shows that almost one in five people who obtained an abortion in 2023 traveled out of state for care. The financial and logistical challenges of such travel can be daunting and are potentially even more difficult for military service members to overcome. We need a federal solution to help service members access essential abortion care,” said Kelly Baden, Guttmacher Institute Vice President for Public Policy.

“The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) was deeply concerned by the Trump Administration’s actions to rescind policies that allow servicemembers to access reproductive health care, including fertility care and abortions,” said Sean Tipton, ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer. “We have informed our members of the more recent Department of Defense (DoD) guidance creating an exception for assisted reproductive technology (ART), so that they can best advise their patients who may need to travel to access this type of care while we continue to emphasize this carveout is by no means a policy win. This is why we are so grateful to Representatives Sherrill, Escobar, Houlahan, and Crow for their leadership on legislation that will ensure all reproductive health care – both fertility treatments and abortion services – remain accessible to military families.” 

Sherrill has been a leading voice in Congress in protecting abortion rights for servicewomen and military families. She spearheaded the fight against Senator Tommy Tuberville’s efforts to overturn the Department of Defense’s abortion policy and introduced legislation that would codify the policy into law. House Republicans refused to consider Sherrill’s legislation.  

She successfully secured an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA to codify access to year-long supplies of contraceptives to service members. Sherrill has fought for legislation to promote education about women’s heart health, and has co-led a bill to ensure women can access a full year’s supply of contraceptives, rather than just three months at a time. Finally, she is leading efforts to end “judge shopping,” a tactic used by anti-abortion advocates to gain favorable outcomes.

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