The VA will allow abortions to take place on federal lands.
QUICK FACTS:
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will start providing pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries with access to abortion counseling and, in some circumstances, abortion procedures.
- An announcement on Friday outlined the office’s plan to offer pregnancy termination when the life or health of a veteran or dependent was at risk if the baby is carried to term.
- Abortion will also be offered as an option in cases of rape or incest, according to an email reviewed by journalists.
- In states where abortion is illegal, VA doctors will still be able to perform abortions in federal territories.
STATEMENT FROM VA SECRETARY:
- “VA will be able to provide access to abortion services when the life or health of the pregnant Veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a Friday email to colleagues obtained by The Gateway Pundit.
- “VA employees, when working within the scope of their federal employment, may provide authorized services regardless of state restrictions,” McDonough went on to say. “We came to this decision after listening to VA health care providers and Veterans across the country, who informed us that state abortion restrictions are creating a medical emergency for the Veterans we serve.”
- “Veterans are also at greater risk of experiencing pregnancy-related complications due to increased rates of chronic health conditions. As we have made clear consistently and constantly, Veteran patient safety is our number one priority. Therefore, to protect the life and health of pregnant Veterans and eligible beneficiaries, VA determined that it was necessary to offer abortion counseling and—in some cases—abortion services.”
BACKGROUND:
- Currently, abortion is banned or severely limited in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
- The bans and restrictions range from criminal penalties for abortion except in the case of a medical emergency to abortion bans in most cases at 20 weeks gestation and after.
