DOJ Staff Demand Paid Travel For Out-Of-State Abortions

Some Department of Justice (DOJ) workers want to be paid if they take leave and travel to more permissive states to have abortions, according to CNN.

The employee-run DOJ Gender Equality Network sent an Aug. 4 letter to Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and other high-ranking officials calling for the Biden administration to provide paid time off and fully cover travel expenses for staff going across state lines for “abortion care,” the outlet reported.

Over 20 staffers of various DOJ divisions signed the letter, which further suggests the government “allow federal employees to opt out of travel or relocation to states that ban abortion.” They also urged the administration not to consider employees’ “abortion-related activity” in background checks. (RELATED: ‘Misinformation’: Study Debunks One Of The Media’s Biggest Lies About Abortion Restrictions)

The DOJ Gender Equality Network echoed President Joe Biden calling the Supreme Court’s June Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning Roe v. Wade “a giant step backwards in much of our country.”

Abortion rights activists, including actor Busy Phillips, march past United States Supreme Court to protest the court’s ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision, in Washington, U.S., June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

“DOJ GEN believes that access to safe and legal abortion care is not only a ‘fundamental right[],’ but also a human right—one that governments must protect to ‘eliminate discrimination against women and to ensure women’s right to health as well as other fundamental human rights,’ ” the organization said, quoting the White House and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights’ office.

The letter said the Hyde Amendment preventing federal funding of abortion would not prevent any of its proposals but told the Biden administration to continue working for the rule’s downfall.

Neither the DOJ nor the Gender Equality Network immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

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