Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of six attorneys general in sending a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought requesting a meeting on a federal rule that provides veterans and their families access to vital reproductive health services. The rule at issue, “Reproductive Health Services,” permits the VA medical benefits package and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion counseling for all pregnancies and abortion services in situations where the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of self-reported rape or incest.
The Trump administration has indicated it is currently reviewing the rule and has held meetings with other stakeholders.
“Those who have served in the military have made countless sacrifices to protect our freedoms. In return, our military veterans deserve the protection of their rights to reproductive freedom,” Raoul said. “That’s why I am joining my fellow attorneys general in requesting an opportunity to convey the importance of ensuring access to abortion care for veterans and their families, regardless of what state they live in. I will not stop defending their rights, and the rights of all women, to access abortion care.”
In September 2022, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the VA announced an interim version of the rule. In October 2022, Raoul joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a comment letter supporting the VA’s efforts to increase reproductive freedom. After receiving public comment, the VA finalized the Rule on March 4, 2024. Since the Dobbs decision, at least 19 states have banned or restricted abortion care, while others are still proposing new restrictions.
In the letter, Raoul and the attorneys general argue that the rule fills a significant gap in health care for an important population by offering veterans and their families access to the same health care services available to many civilians. Of the 2 million women veterans in the United States, 42% use VA health care and are of childbearing age. The coalition notes that many pregnancy and miscarriage complications are emergency medical conditions requiring time-sensitive stabilizing treatment that can include abortion. In an emergency, failure to provide or delays in providing necessary abortion care puts the pregnant patient’s life or health at risk.
The coalition argues that permitting abortion where a pregnancy is the result of self-reported rape or incest, particularly given the prevalence of sexual violence resulting in pregnancy, is vitally important. Veterans report higher rates of sexual trauma than their civilian peers. Ensuring access to abortion counseling is part of patient-centered care, which builds trust among providers and patients.
The attorneys general are requesting a meeting to more fully outline the importance of the rule to families in their states. Joining Attorney General Raoul in sending today’s letter are the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Washington.
