By Steven Ertelt
Article Source
Joe Biden announced today that his administration will illegally turn VA hospitals into abortion centers, in a move that breaks federal law.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday it plans to kill babies in abortions in cases of rape or incest or in cases where the mother’s life or health is in danger, even though doctors repeatedly say abortions are never medically necessary.
The VA says babies will be killed in abortions “regardless of state restrictions” — which means VA hospitals will become abortion centers even in pro-life states that have banned abortions.
The department submitted an interim rule to the Federal Register Thursday night that will allow abortion access on federal property in some cases, even in states that ban the procedure. VA health care providers can also coordinate abortions with private medical offices in states where abortion is still allowed. Providers can also offer to counsel pregnant veterans and eligible beneficiaries.
The VA said it will make a determination on a case-by-case basis on the necessity of abortion based on “careful consultation between VA health care providers and the Veterans they serve.” For cases of rape or incest, the VA will use self-reporting from a veteran or beneficiary.
“Pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries deserve to have access to world-class reproductive care when they need it most,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “That’s what our nation owes them, and that’s what we at VA will deliver.”
The last part means that babies will be killed in abortions in cases of rape or incest merely on the word of the woman seeking the abortion, without any report to law enforcement in order to apprehend the rapist or proof that rape or incest had occurred.
Senator James Lankford, a pro-life Republican from Oklahoma, says the move is illegal and previously sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough to share his concerns. Specifically, Biden’s move is illegal under federal law.
Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 prohibits the VA from providing abortions.
Lankford warns in his letter, “Only Congress can change federal law, and Congress has held for the past 30 years that the VA is not permitted to offer abortion services… Abortion is not and will never be healthcare. Healthcare protects life. Abortion takes life. Instead of promoting the taking of human life, I would challenge you, and others within the VA, to respect the dignity of our veterans and all of their family members, including unborn children, by ensuring services provided and funded by the VA are focused on true healthcare consistent with federal law.”
Multiple polls over the years show Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions, and most recently a January 2022 Marist poll found that a majority of Americans — 54% — oppose taxpayer funding of abortion.
Leading pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life slammed the decision and reiterated that it is illegal, in violation of both federal and state laws. It also noted that McDonough failed to respond Lankford’s letter.
“Shame on Secretary McDonough for caving to Biden and the radical abortion lobby’s demands to violate state and federal law regarding abortion. Abortion is not health care – in fact it carries serious physical and mental health risks – and expanding abortion on demand into the VA is illegal, period,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “This is the latest egregious example of the pro-abortion extremism that has taken over the Democratic Party. Biden himself used to agree taxpayers should never be forced to fund the destruction of innocent life. Now he is head of the most pro-abortion administration in history. There is no law they won’t rewrite or institution they won’t destroy in their drive to impose abortion without limits – even late-term abortions well after unborn children can feel pain – up to the moment of birth, paid for by taxpayers, nationwide.
She told LifeNews: “Democrats’ pro-abortion extremism is wildly out of step with the majority of Americans. We will expose them and hold them accountable at the ballot box.”
