Today, the U.S. Senate failed to pass Congressional Review Act (CRA) Joint Resolution 103 with a vote of 48 yeas and 50 nays. The resolution would have blocked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) rule that severely restricts reproductive health protections that veterans and their families rely on through the VA health system by revoking access to abortion care in cases of rape or incest and ending abortion counseling entirely. The rule is one of the most extreme abortion policies in the country. The Reproductive Freedom Alliance is urging President Trump to restore and protect veterans’ access to reproductive health care.
“Veterans put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and they deserve access to the full spectrum of health care through the system they rely on. This dangerous rule creates new barriers to care, instills confusion within the VA health system, and forces providers to weigh legal risks against the urgent medical needs of their patients. Today, Congress had the chance to stop it and protect those who served our country–and failed. We are calling on President Trump to direct the VA to reverse course, rescind this rule, and restore the reproductive health care protections that veterans have earned and deserve,” said Christina Chang, Executive Director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance.
Nearly 400,000 women veterans live in Reproductive Freedom Alliance (RFA) states, many of whom rely on the VA as their primary source of health care. Restricting access to reproductive health care within the VA system will force veterans to travel long distances, pay out of pocket for services, or forgo care altogether—particularly impacting those who live in rural communities.
The RFA, a coalition of 23 governors committed to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom, strongly opposes this rule and has previously commented on and sent a joint letter to VA Secretary Douglas A. Collins urging him to reverse course.
The Department of Veterans Affairs was created to guarantee that those who served our country receive the care they have earned. Veterans should never return home to find their essential care is limited by the very government they serve. Ensuring access to comprehensive, timely care is fundamental to honoring their service – and the RFA will continue to advocate and fight for these freedoms until that commitment is fulfilled.
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The Reproductive Freedom Alliance (RFA) is a nonpartisan coalition of 23 governors working together to protect and expand reproductive freedom across the United States. By supporting state policy change, RFA has helped equip governors with the tools to protect and expand access to reproductive health care, defend the rights of patients and providers, and advance state policies to safeguard reproductive freedom. RFA is supported by GovAct, a fiscally sponsored nonpartisan nonprofit initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives.