VA to begin offering abortions in cases of rape/health risks to veteran
The Supreme Courth overturned Roe v. Wade, so Department of Veteran’s Affairs has announced they will begin offering abortions to select veterans and dependents. Huh?
The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to offer abortion access to veterans and eligible dependents in cases of rape, incest and pregnancies that endanger the life or health of an individual, arguing the change is needed after more than two dozen states banned the procedure this summer.
Administration officials have argued that VA employees, when working within the scope of their federal jobs, may provide needed services regardless of state restrictions.
Under a proposed rule submitted to the Federal Register Thursday night, VA health care providers could also coordinate abortions with private sector medical offices in locations where the procedures are allowed, and provide counseling on options to all pregnant veterans and eligible beneficiaries.In a statement, VA Secretary Denis McDonough called the move “a patient safety decision” that will fill a critical gap in available medical care.
“Pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most,” he said.
So on the one side, administration leaders are giving VA the go-ahead despite any state rules in place?
Democratic supporters have argued that under the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, the department can furnish “needed” medical care to veterans, including abortions. VA appears to be using that legal defense to justify the changes.
But there is also the other legal side of that claim,:
At multiple hearings in recent months, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, chastised VA officials for considering such a move and cited the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which prohibits abortions at VA medical locations.
You may remember the Hyde Amendment, which forbids spending any Medicaid money on abortions- it does not forbid other funding as far as I can tell. But this does seem ripe for some court action, if not Supreme Court action. Note that, as of this writing, this is a proposed rule change and not set in stone (although given the stated values of the administration, ‘Highly Likely’ is a fair assessment.) No word on whether loyalty oaths will determine eligibility.
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", None, Veteran Health Care, Veterans' Affairs Department
How is that service connected?
Is pregnancy by incest a problem within the US Military? It sure as hell wasn’t when Hack Stone was on active duty.
I saw a case of it.
We have seen stories about women raped on active duty or in other circumstances by another military member. In this case I really do not have an issue with making the day after pill or other procedure available to the victim. It’s not like they consented. In the case of consensual sex that is a different story. IMO abortion is not birth control as birth control is preventing conception, not terminating it after the fact.
Orwell strikes again.
“Reproductive Care” = “Abortion”.
I think the whole issue of Federal wishes taking precedence over State wishes was settled in 1865. And aren’t Military Bases considered Federal Property? Will this new proposed policy cover all the pregnant men too?
Keep in mind, your abortionists…The Souls of the Innocent Babies you murder will be on the Jury when you have your final Judgement. And yes, I understand and can agree that in the narrow scope that this proposal is based on, a medical abortion is probably not a bad thing. However, how many would claim to meet the parameters that actually didn’t meet them?
Some are not. 29 Palms is a federal facility but not on federal land. California owns the ground they are on. Thus their bullshit nonsensical laws are in place there. Don’t kill the pissing turtles and all that…
Fed vs State.
The Feds will argue preemption. The state will counter that providers are not upholding the tenets of their licensure.
I see the number of restricted rape reports skyrocketing.
Why would the VA be doing anything for dependents? It is the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION. Rhetorical question actually as they don’t really do anything for anyone if they can avoid it.
As to abortion in case of rape/life saving, I actually got no problem with that. If it is legit.