Reproductive rights of veterans at risk
The Trump administration has released new draft rules that would ban physicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from performing abortions, even in instances of rape or incest. The proposal also bars VA providers from counseling veterans regarding pregnancy termination, reversing a Biden-era policy that provided limited abortion access in the VA system. Exceptions would only be provided if a doctor certifies that continuing a pregnancy to term would jeopardize the life of the mother a loophole experts say is very narrow.
Scrutiny from veterans and health activists
The ruling has sparked condemnation from abortion rights supporters, health professionals, and female veterans, many who are sexual assault survivors. Caitlin Russell, a veteran Army captain who had served in Afghanistan, cautioned in an interview with The Guardian, “Women are going to die.” Activist organizations contend that the rollback deprives servicewomen of necessary healthcare and puts them at risk in states where abortion is already prohibited. Alexis McGill Johnson, the head of Planned Parenthood, decried the action as “This rule takes away from veterans the most fundamental right to govern their bodies and lives.
The rule under consideration repeals a policy implemented under President Biden, under which the VA could counsel and perform abortions in limited instances even in states that had prohibited the procedure following Roe v. Wade’s overturn in 2022. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough pitched the measure at the time as an issue of patient safety. Today, over half of female veterans reside in states that prohibit abortion outright or are likely to do so, as per the National Partnership for Women & Families.
In spite of promises from the Trump administration that care will continue to be provided for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, or life-threatening conditions, physicians have complained about imprecise legal language. Most are afraid that unclear state laws will discourage doctors from intervening until women’s health gets worse dangerously.
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Public reaction and what’s next
The plan, already triggering close to 20,000 public comments, brings to the fore the increasing rift between proponents of access to reproductive healthcare for veterans. Anti-abortion lobbyists have already campaigned over time against federal intervention in abortion services based on laws that prohibit the use of federal funds on such services except in extreme circumstances.
The regulation is still not final. The public comments remain open until the beginning of September, and then the administration will determine if it will implement the restrictions. At present, the future of reproductive rights for America’s veterans remains uncertain.
