Republican lawmakers are calling for the cancellation of U.S. government contracts with Citigroup Inc. after the banking giant vowed to cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions.
Citigroup provides the credit cards that members of the U.S. House of Representatives use to pay for flights, supplies and other goods. Representative Mike Johnson and more than 40 other members of Congress asked House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor to cancel the contract, saying the legislative branch has a longtime policy of not using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion.
“By offering to pay its employees in their efforts to terminate the lives of the unborn, Citi has forfeited its privilege of doing business with the House of Representatives,” Johnson, a GOP lawmaker from Louisiana, and fellow Republicans including Rodney Davis, Lauren Boebert and Jim Jordan said Tuesday in a letter to Szpindor.
Citigroup’s move came after several states including Texas implemented or proposed a near-total ban on abortions. The policy will cover expenses, such as airfare and lodging, that employees in places including Texas may incur if they’re forced to travel to receive an abortion.
A spokeswoman for New York-based Citigroup declined to comment, while a spokesman for Szpindor’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Many companies have long covered the costs for employees receiving an abortion as part of their reproductive care. With its new policy, announced last month, Citigroup joined the likes of Apple Inc., Bumble Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. in offering to help cover travel costs for employees who have to go out of state for such procedures.
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