“‘Those were three terrible choices to be forced on a young woman who is stepping forward to defend this nation. It made no sense from a perspective of ensuring the most capable military, to force that choice upon her.’"
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas –(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) successfully incorporated the “Candidates Afforded Dignity, Equality and Training Act of 2021,” or the CADET Act, into the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation mandated an end to a longstanding military service academy rule that forced pregnant female students to permanently withdraw from the academies, give up legal custody of their children, or abort the child, and forced male students that fathered a child to choose between giving up legal custody or withdrawing.
Following the passage of the CADET Act, military service academies are now required to treat pregnancies in line with the rest of the military, without changing cadet and midshipmen benefits or responsibilities.
Here’s what they’re saying:
Military Times:
Policy Allowing Parent Cadets, Mids to Stay in School Coming Soon
“‘Under our current system, cadets who become pregnant must either sign away the rights to their child, get an abortion, pay devastating financial responsibilities, or leave the academy altogether’ Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement at the time. ‘This policy is unfair, antiquated, and unacceptable.’
Coffee Or Die Magazine:
‘It Made No Sense’: Military Academies to Stop Kicking Parents Out of School
“For decades, female cadets who became pregnant faced a short list of difficult options: have an abortion; withdraw from school and repay the costs incurred during the time they were enrolled, commonly many tens of thousands of dollars; or put their child up to be adopted, legally surrendering their parental rights with no promise they will ever regain them.
“‘Those were three terrible choices to be forced on a young woman who is stepping forward to defend this nation,” Cruz told Coffee or Die. “It made no sense from a perspective of ensuring the most capable military, to force that choice upon her.’"
“The CADET Act reverses a longtime policy of expelling any cadet who becomes a parent. Though the rule applies to male cadets who father a child, Cruz and former cadets all agree that the consequences of the policy have long been much more likely to fall on women at the schools.”
Stars and Stripes:“‘Those were three terrible choices to be forced on a young woman who is stepping forward to defend this nation,” Cruz told Coffee or Die. “It made no sense from a perspective of ensuring the most capable military, to force that choice upon her.’"
“The CADET Act reverses a longtime policy of expelling any cadet who becomes a parent. Though the rule applies to male cadets who father a child, Cruz and former cadets all agree that the consequences of the policy have long been much more likely to fall on women at the schools.”
Cadets at the Service Academies Can Now Have Children While Attending School
“The change was introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in the Candidates Afforded Dignity, Equality and Training Act, or CADET Act, which was passed as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that outlines defense priorities and spending.”
