Hirono, Warren, Murray, Duckworth Applaud Landmark Abortion Access Measure for Veterans Amid Republican Attacks

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) condemned Republican attacks on the Biden Administration's landmark decision last week to allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide abortion care to veterans and their eligible dependents to protect the health and life of the woman and in cases of rape or incest. The action comes after Senators Hirono and Warren led Senators Murray, Duckworth, and 21 Democratic colleagues in urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to immediately begin providing abortion services for veterans and eligible dependents following the far-right Supreme Court's disastrous Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Because of the Dobbs decision, over 800,000--or half of women veterans in this country--live in states that are certain or likely to ban abortions. Prior to last week's announcement, VA was prohibited from providing any abortion care or abortion counseling. Despite the landmark step forward to protect women's health, Republicans have stated they will seek to block the VA's efforts to provide abortion care in medical emergencies or case of rape or incest. Republicans in Congress have made clear they are "working to put a stop to" the policy announced by the Biden Administration, and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has even vowed to enforce his state's abortion ban against VA doctors providing care in accordance with the new rule.