White House issues veto warning for resolution overturning the VA’s abortion policy

The White House on Wednesday threatened a veto of a resolution that would invalidate a rule issued last year by the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer abortions in certain cases and abortion counseling to veterans.

In a Statement of Administration Policy, the White House warned the resolution “undermines patient safety and invites political interference into deeply personal decisions made by pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries in consultation with their health care providers, threatening their health and lives.”

If the resolution make it to President Biden’s desk, “he would veto it,” the White House said.

The VA last September announced the rule in response to the Supreme Court decision months earlier that struck down Roe v. Wade and threatened abortion access.

The agency said it would provide abortions in cases where a pregnant veteran’s life or health is at risk if their pregnancy were carried to term, or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

The resolution has the support of numerous Republican senators and is led by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). Several GOP members of the House have also signed on in support of the resolution to invalidate the VA rule, as has Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

“Using our VA medical facilities to provide taxpayer-funded abortions is illegal and wrong,” Tuberville said in a statement Tuesday. “The VA’s new policy is a blatant violation of federal law. It forces taxpayers to fund abortions at VA facilities.”

Updated at 3:40 p.m.