It comes as no surprise that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has issued a statement all but condemning Friday’s overturn of Roe — by pledging that the United States military “be all that it can be” [sarcasm] and will do all it can in support of “seamless access to reproductive health care [on-demand abortion].”

What is a bit of a surprise — Austin’s apparent ignorance of federal law — is laughable.

In a statement posted on the Department of Defense website, Austin pledged the U.S. military’s (emphasis, mine) “readiness and resilience” to, in effect, “continue to provide access” to abortion.

Nothing is more important to me or to this Department than the health and well-being of our Service members, the civilian workforce and DOD families. I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force.

The Department is examining this [Roe] decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law.

“Ensuring the Readiness and resilience” to conduct warfare, Mr. Secretary? Oh hell no.

Setting aside the “Nothing is more important to me” [than protecting abortion rights] nonsense from the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America, Austin’s “as permitted by federal law” reference is off-the-charts ridiculous. Why so? There is no “federal law,” Mr. Secretary. The Roe overturn correctly returned abortion decisions to the states. Besides, the Hyde Amendment already begs to differ:

The Hyde Amendment Codification Act —Prohibits the expenditure for any abortion of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law .

Prohibits the use of federal funds for any health benefits coverage that includes abortion. (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, and plans receiving federal funds must keep them segregated from any funds for abortion services.)

Excludes from such prohibitions an abortion if: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest; or (2) the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, as certified by a physician.

And here’s the deal. While Biden is an avid supporter of on-demand abortion, which he continues to refer to as an “essential health care service,” and has called for the removal of the Hyde Amendment from congressional appropriations bills, any change to Hyde, or its demise, would require approval by Congress — highly unlikely now that Roe has been overturned.

Stephen Miller, former senior advisor to former President Trump, summed up Austin’s statement, and the “woke” obsession by the Pentagon as a whole, in a single sentence:

DOD Secretary pledges the US Military’s support for abortion (eg “reproductive health”) as key to “readiness and resilience.” Pentagon continues its full-throated embrace of work progressive ideology.

BOOM. MOAB-style.

DOD Secretary pledges the US Military’s support for abortion (eg “reproductive health”) as key to “readiness and resilience.” Pentagon continues its full-throated embrace of work progressive ideology. https://t.co/bWAYWXKeWo

— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) June 24, 2022

I said at the top that while Austin’s response to Roe comes as no surprise, I suggested I was a bit surprised by the DefSec’s clueless reference to federal law. I hereby change my mind on the latter, having thought through the whole thing more clearly. [sarcasm]

I mean, considering the following RedState reports:

The Military Has an Extremist Problem, Just Not the One Lloyd Austin Has Wet Dreams Over Snuffing Out

When retired General Lloyd Austin was designated as Secretary of Defense by Joe Biden, one of the first things he did was order an “extremist stand-down.” As a result, all training was paused for a period of time with Defense to focus on the real enemy, your fellow soldier/sailor/airman/Marine who might have a different worldview than that prevailing in Washington, D.C.

And:

SecDef Austin and JCS Chairman Milley Show They Are Completely Devoted to Critical Race Theory at the Expense of Combat Effectiveness

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley were on The Hill, and they were called out on their role in inflicting CRT on the US military by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz.

Austin simply refused to engage. He denied CRT is being taught in the military (that is actually a lie, it is taught under that name in the service academies, and commissars enforcing its working tenets on “whiteness” and “systemic racism” are embedded in the field force).

Finally, last but not least:

As Threats From Russia and China Mount, US Military Report Talks ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’

In a report titled Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Are Necessities in U.S. Military on the Department of Defense website, Bishop Garrison, senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin — another winner — argues that diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) are essential in “making the U.S. military more successful in achieving critical missions and in making forces more lethal.” (Gen. George Patton would beg to differ.)

Clearly, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s allegiance — he all but said it with his disgraceful “Nothing is more important to me” comment — is to the Biden White House and the Democrat Party, and the radical left, all of which are doing their damnedest to destroy America as we know it, not to the military strength and combat readiness of America’s Armed Forces.

As a result, everything Austin said in his statement was completely predictable.