WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after voting to overturn the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule forcing taxpayers to fund abortions at VA medical facilities. 

“The VA knows providing taxpayer-funded abortions violates federal law and violates the trust of taxpayers,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We are standing to protect mothers, their children, and the rule of law.”

In February, Cassidy introduced the bicameral joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to nullify an illegal US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule that provides abortion services through the taxpayer-funded VA health care system. The CRA gives Congress the authority to review major rules issued by federal agencies. If Congress disapproves of a rule via resolution, the rule will have no force or effect under the law.

The VA published the interim final rule in September 2022, just a few months after the Supreme Court issued its decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and return the decision to legislate on abortion to the American people through their elected representatives. Not only does the rule set up VA medical facilities to blatantly violate state laws, it’s also in clear conflict with Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services. Notably, the rule also extends abortion services to certain veterans’ dependents and fails to provide any conscience protections for VA medical staff.

The resolution, which has 35 cosponsors in the Senate and 51 cosponsors in the House of Representatives, has been endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro Life-America, March for Life, National Right to Life, Catholic Vote, Heritage Action for America, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Family Research Council, and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.