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22h ago

VA Enforces Near-Total Abortion Ban After DOJ Opinion

An internal memo directed VA facilities to follow a Justice Department ruling, leaving only a life‑threatening exception.

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People walk past the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters a block from the White House on March 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. As part of President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency's work to downsize the federal government, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins said the department will reduce it's workforce by 15-percent, or about 80,000 jobs. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
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Overview

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed it is immediately halting abortions and abortion counseling in response to a Dec. 18 Office of Legal Counsel opinion that the agency lacks authority to provide the services.
  • The restrictions apply across all VA hospitals and clinics nationwide, including in states where abortion is legal, and extend to eligible dependents; the VA reports about 100–140 abortions were provided under the 2022 policy.
  • The move overturns the Biden-era rule that had allowed abortion counseling and limited procedures for rape, incest, or serious health risks, with the new policy allowing care only when a physician certifies the patient’s life is at risk.
  • VA officials said treatment for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages remains available, while the formal regulation to codify the rollback—proposed in August and drawing more than 24,000 public comments—has not yet been finalized.
  • Democratic leaders including Chuck Schumer and Sen. Patty Murray condemned the decision as harmful to veterans’ health care, Republicans praised the rollback, and Rep. Julia Brownley introduced a bill with 118 co-sponsors to restore VA abortion access.