Veterans Affairs Moves to Offer Abortions, Republicans Fight Back: ‘Complete Administrative Overreach’

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has moved toward offering abortion access to veterans, but not without opposition.

The access would be for veterans and eligible dependents in cases of rape, incest, and pregnancies endangering the life or health of the mother, the Military Times reported Friday.

“The move marks the first time VA physicians could perform abortions on federal property, even in states where it has been outlawed,” the article said.

In June, The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, holding in the Dobbs case that the Constitution does not provide a right to abortion, Breitbart News reported:

Roe was handed down in 1973 in a 7-2 decision, holding that the U.S. Constitution includes a constitutional right to abortion, despite the fact that abortion is not found in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution, and the nation went more than 180 years without ever noticing it existed. It has been one of the most divisive legal issues in American history.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden (D) was violating federal law by turning VA hospitals into abortion clinics, Life News reported Friday:

“Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 prohibits the VA from doing abortions. Federal courts should stop this abortion plan immediately,” the outlet said.

However, the move was deemed a “patient safety decision,” according to Denis McDonough, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Twenty-five Democrat and independent senators recently pushed McDonough to offer abortions at VA facilities, but Republicans voiced strong opposition to the move, the Times report stated.

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Mike Bost (R-IL) said Friday, “Abortion is wrong, and Congress prohibited VA from providing it decades ago. This proposal is contrary to longstanding, settled law and a complete administrative overreach. I oppose it and am already working to put a stop to it.”

In a social media post on Friday, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) voiced his opinion on the matter, writing, “The VA isn’t an abortion clinic. For 30 years, the law has been clear that the VA isn’t permitted to offer abortions.”

“Instead of ignoring the law & promoting taking human life, the VA should respect the dignity of our veterans & their family members, including unborn children,” he concluded.