January 20, 2026
Department of Veterans’ Affairs no longer commits or funds abortions in return to pre-Biden policy
Effective immediately, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) put an end to the taxpayer-funded killing of veterans’ kids as it reinstated its policy against committing or funding abortions. Under the reinstated policy, abortions are no longer covered by VA medical benefits plans, nor committed by VA physicians.
The policy applies to all VA health facilities, including those in states with legal abortion.
As ruled by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the pro-life policy is backed by the 1992 “Veterans Health Care Act”, which prevents VA physicians from both performing abortions and influencing patients to get abortions.
VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz told the Military Times that the VA is immediately complying with the DOJ’s opinion that the VA cannot legally commit abortions. “DOJ’s opinion is consistent with VA’s proposed rule, which continues to work its way through the regulatory process,” Kasperowicz said.
For 20 years, veterans’ kids were legally protected from abortions committed by the VA. Then the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
In response to the Dobbs decision and, as ruled by the DOJ, in direct contradiction to the Veterans Health Care Act, Biden-era officials quickly enacted an order to allow the VA to fund and commit abortions in cases of rape, incest, and health of the mother—even in states that illegalized all abortions. The loophole: VA physicians operate on federal land.
Never before had VA physicians been allowed to commit abortions on federal property. Yet Democrats would have you believe the VA’s return to pro-life operations is an unprecedented policy change and an attack on the wellbeing of veterans and their families.
“Instead of trusting veterans to make the healthcare decisions that are best for them, VA is allowing political opinion to supplant its duty to veterans,” claimed Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) in a press release.
“The Trump administration’s dangerous decision to roll back VA’s already limited abortion access is clearly driven by politics, not patient care,” added Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), a ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health.
Yet it is clear to see that the real politically motivated change was made under Biden, and this recent policy change is a return to common sense, moral decency, and following the law. But that doesn’t stop the onslaught of condemnations by Democrats.
“Trump’s far-right administration is waging war against access to safe abortion,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) posted on X. “His new VA policy BANS abortion for veterans EVEN in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening complications. This is a BETRAYAL of our brave American veterans.”
“Denying veterans essential health care and abortion access—even in cases of rape or serious health risk—after they have sacrificed so much for our country is callous and inhumane,” Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman told Fox News.
Real essential health care, including care for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, is not prevented by the policy. And VA’s policy does not stop veterans from getting abortions within states’ laws, only from the VA funding or committing those abortions.
The policy change away from federally funded abortions of veterans’ children comes after the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, which paused taxpayer funding of abortions on the federal level for one year, marking a continued move away from publicly funded abortions.
SFLAction will continue to support the defunding of abortion vendors on behalf of Life.