More than 70 members of Congress have sent a public letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins supporting his effort to end a Biden-era rule that allowed VA medical centers to perform abortions.
The members’ letter—spearheaded by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and signed onto by 13 other Republican senators and 57 GOP members of the House—reflects the continued pro-life priorities of legislators even after the overturning of Roe v. Wade three years ago.
“[Then-President Joe] Biden’s 2022 radical abortion policy change that mandated the Department of Veterans Affairs perform abortions was an unconstitutional overreach that was not authorized by clear statutory authority. It’s great to see President Trump’s VA returning to its roots of valuing the dignity of all human life,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal.
The Trump administration had indicated in August that it would be reversing the Biden administration rule, an effort that will simultaneously still provide care to pregnant women in life-threatening circumstances. The Biden-era regulation had broken long-standing federal precedent regarding the avoidance of taxpayer support for most abortion services and was implemented after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision of the Supreme Court in June 2022, which ended the right to an abortion under the U.S. Constitution.
The Trump decision and the congressional letter show that there is still significant support among Republican lawmakers for preventing American taxpayer dollars from assisting in abortion procedures. Other signatories of the letter include Republican Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, and James Risch of Idaho.
“The Dobbs decision was an important milestone, but the fight to protect life is far from over,” Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal.
“Every human life has value, and no American taxpayer should ever be forced to foot the bill for someone else’s abortion. The Trump administration’s decision to reverse this Biden-era rule will restore the VA to its lawful mission and ensure it remains focused on caring for those who’ve served our country,” Cloud said.
The Trump administration’s decision has earned plaudits from defenders of the unborn.
Madison LaClare, the director of federal government affairs at National Right to Life, one of the largest organizations defending the unborn, told The Daily Signal that her organization “commends the U.S. senators and representatives who signed a joint letter supporting the proposed rule change.”
“The Biden administration’s rule reversed the Department of Veterans Affairs’ long-standing policy prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion. We are grateful to those who added their names in support of restoring this important safeguard of taxpayer dollars and for standing to protect the lives of unborn children,” LaClare explained.
“I agree with the VA that the Biden Rule was based on politics, not science. The Biden Rule functionally allows abortion on demand until birth. It does not impose any gestational limits or limits on access to abortion for mental, emotional, social, familial, or economic ‘health’ reasons,” Rachel N. Morrison, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said in a public comment about the rule change. EPPC is a prominent think tank in Washington that seeks to apply Judeo-Christian traditions to dealing with the problems of modern society.
