Overview

• On August 4, the Department of Veterans Affairs filed an interim rule in the Federal Register to end in-hospital abortions for veterans, with a public comment period running until early September.
• The proposal retains exceptions for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages but requires veterans seeking elective abortions to obtain care outside VA medical centers.
• VA leaders described the 2022 policy allowing abortions on federal property as legally questionable and said the department should focus on service-connected health benefits.
• Abortion rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers warned the rollback strips veterans of bodily autonomy and exacerbates access challenges in states with restrictive laws.
• Republican lawmakers and pro-life organizations praised the move as a restoration of longstanding policy and argued against using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.