Republican Rep. Ken Calvert opposes abortion access for military personnel

California Rep. Ken Calvert supported a budget that would’ve made it harder for members of the military to get abortion care. Calvert is one of several swing-district Republicans facing a tough reelection fight in November.

Under current law, the Department of Defense covers travel costs for service members and their dependents who are forced to travel across state lines to find abortion services. This policy was adopted in October 2022 following the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

Calvert is the current chair of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, a body responsible for overseeing and allocating funding for the Department of Defense. In June 2024, Calvert backed a proposed defense spending bill for 2025 that would prohibit the military from covering travel expenses or providing paid leave for abortion-related care.

In a statement, Calvert praised the budget and said it was good for national security. 

“I am proud of this year’s defense appropriations bill, which adheres to the fiscal constraints of the Fiscal Responsibility Act while providing a strong military to defend America, our allies, and partners,” Calvert said. “As Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee, the FY25 bill continues my focus on deterring China’s aggression with strategic investments in the Pacific, promoting innovation and modernization, optimizing the Pentagon’s civilian workforce, increasing the Department’s role in countering the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., and supporting our close ally, Israel.”

Calvert’s statement makes no reference to the abortion provisions in the budget. The budget passed the House with near-unanimous Republican support. It is now awaiting action in the Senate.

Calvert, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993, has cast other votes targeting the abortion rights of military personnel.

In June 2022, Calvert opposed a 2023 defense spending bill because it included language that guaranteed service members paid leave for certain medical treatments, including abortions. The bill also included funding for sexual assault prevention in the military.  

A year later, Calvert supported a version of the 2024 defense spending bill that would have banned the Department of Defense from using funds to provide abortion care or counseling. He also backed an amendment to the bill that would have repealed the policy of reimbursing travel expenses for abortion care.

This version of the bill passed the House with only Republican votes. It was dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In 1995, 1998, and 2006, Calvert voted against repealing a ban on service members receiving privately-funded abortions in military hospitals abroad. In 2021, he opposed an effort to make contraceptives more affordable for service members.

Calvert celebrated the June 2022 Supreme Court decision that  overturned Roe v. Wade, claiming it was good for democracy.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling shifts the power to set abortion policies to Congress and to the States,” Calvert said in a press release. “This will allow for the American people to have a greater say in this most difficult and personal issue.”

Today, as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision, there are 14 states with near-total abortion bans.

A Calvert spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story. Calvert’s Democratic opponent in November is counterterrorism attorney Will Rollins.