Trump Will Soon Implement Policy to Stop Abortions at VA Clinics

Under the former Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) underwent a policy change that expanded abortion access for active-duty and retired soldiers in VA-affiliated hospitals. Abortion, a former Biden official claimed, is “what our nation owes” veterans. But now, the Trump administration is moving to change that.

Last month, the VA announced its plan to not only remove the Biden-era policy, but to reinstate a rule that pre-dated Joe Biden’s presidency that prevented VA hospitals from providing abortions at all. A VA spokesperson explained to The Christian Post that the policy change from the former administration, which went into effect in 2022 in response to the Dobbs decision that reversed Roe v. Wade, was “politically motivated.” As the spokesperson stated, “Prior to the Biden Administration’s politically motivated change in 2022, federal law and longstanding precedent across Democrat and Republican administrations prevented VA from providing abortions and abortion counseling.”

The backlash against Biden’s policy was significant, especially from pro-life critics who argued that it violated the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, whose authors specified it did not include abortions. But as The Washington Stand previously reported, “the Biden administration, and supporters such as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), justify abortion expansion under the Veterans’ Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which authorizes ‘necessary care.’”

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The spokesperson continued, saying that the VA’s new “proposed rule will reinstate the pre-Biden bipartisan policy, bringing the department back in line with historical norm.” The Trump administration’s proposal to reinstate the old policy was open to public comments — a window that closed last week. According to the spokesperson, officials have been “following the established rulemaking process, including reviewing all public comments in response to the proposal,” noting that there will be no changes made “until the rule is finalized.” Notably, the spokesperson added, “VA’s new policy will not prevent the department from providing care to pregnant women in life-threatening circumstances.”

Last week, during the public review period, Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, and FRC Senior Fellow Chris Gacek, submitted a comment to the VA on the matter. On behalf of FRC, they wrote, “The proposed rule correctly recognizes that it is never medically necessary to intentionally kill an unborn child to save a mother’s life. Physicians are never required to compromise their commitment to one of their patients (the unborn child) for the sake of the other (the mother) and vice versa.”

They explained how there are several “confusing definitions” surrounding the word “abortion.” For example, they wrote, “Several of these medical terms (i.e., spontaneous, missed, inevitable, incomplete, and complete) are

used to describe what is colloquially referred to as miscarriage.” They argued that this is a “manufactured” confusion from “pro-abortionists arguing that abortion is a necessary component of women’s health care. They contend that if a miscarriage and the necessary procedures surrounding it that ensure all parts of the pregnancy have been removed from the mother are all part of an abortion, then an abortion is not always a choice, and it is a part of health care.” And yet, “Both the medical community and the general public understand that medical terminology is not used when speaking colloquially about the intentional killing of an unborn child.”

While “there are tragic circumstances in which women cannot continue their pregnancies due to medical complications,” the comment noted, such as ectopic pregnancy, cancer, infection, heart problems, and more, these cases do “not constitute an abortion.”

The comment concluded: “The VA’s proposed rule to reinstate full protections from abortion is a welcome change that aligns with providing top-quality medical care for those who have served or are serving our country. FRC is grateful to the Trump administration for taking this important step toward ensuring our military protects and defends the innocent and vulnerable, including those in the womb.”

Speaking with TWS, Szoch reacted to the latest developments, stating, “We are extremely grateful to the Trump administration for ensuring that our military is entirely focused on protecting and defending the innocent and the vulnerable — including those in the womb.” She continued, “The intentional killing of an unborn child is not and never has been part of health care. While there are instances where medical care for the mother tragically and unintentionally results in the death of the unborn baby, there is never a case where the best form of treatment for a mother is the direct and intentional killing of her baby.”

As Szoch went on to explain, “The idea that abortion — which kills an irreplaceable gift from God, a child, while breaking the heart of that child’s mother — is somehow what we ‘owe’ our veterans is crazy. Our veterans deserve love, support, gratitude, and actual health care.” Ultimately, she asserted, “Killing an innocent, defenseless unborn child doesn’t fit into that list.”

As the VA reviews public comments, the final rule’s adoption remains pending. In the meantime, Szoch concluded, “Praise God that President Trump, the most pro-life president in America’s history, is back in office and working to right the wrongs of the Biden administration.”

LifeNews Note: Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand, where this originally appeared.