The Pentagon on Thursday revoked its abortion access policy, curtailing the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions for service members.

The policy provided service members with up to three weeks of administrative leave and stipends to travel for an abortion if the procedure is illegal where they are stationed. The policy was rescinded without comment following an executive order from President Trump.

The policy has long been in the crosshairs of conservatives, who say the policy amounted to using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, violating federal law.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Alabama Republican, praised the decision to revoke the policy.

“The Biden administration treated taxpayers like their own personal piggy bank that they could use to bankroll their woke agenda,” he said in a statement. “President Trump and Secretary [Pete] Hegseth affirmed today what I’ve been fighting for since I got to Washington: Zero taxpayer dollars should go toward abortions.”

In 2023, Mr. Tuberville delayed promotions for dozens of military officers over the Pentagon’s abortion access policy.

Democrats, on the other hand, lamented the sunset of the abortion access policy, arguing that its removal will hurt military readiness.

“At a time when we are already facing military recruitment and retention challenges, we should do all we can to assure those who answer the call to serve America that we will do everything in our power to support them and their families,” 19 Senate Democrats said in a joint statement. “This extreme action does the opposite and sends a message to servicewomen — who make up more than 17% of our military’s active duty — that they are not as valuable as their male counterparts.”

The Biden administration and Democrats long argued that the abortion access policy saved lives and was necessary after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The ruling gave way to numerous states passing abortion restrictions, which in some cases made it difficult for service members to receive an abortion.

Pentagon officials testified that the policy was used 12 times from September 2023 to March 2024.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.