Pro-Life Victory: VA to Stop Abortions in Veterans’ Hospitals

Abortion, , ,

On August 1, the Trump Administration quietly announced a rule change end abortions at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and stop paying for abortions and abortion counseling for veterans and their dependents.

Up until September of 2022, VA hospitals generally did not perform or fund abortions except to save the life of the mother. Under the Biden Administration, the VA added broad “health” exceptions for abortion as part of an effort to expand abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Health exceptions for abortion are notoriously vague and can lead to abortion on demand in many cases. That’s why states like Arkansas limit abortion to situations where the mother’s life is at risk instead of using a broader “health” exception.

The Biden Administration’s 2022 rules authorized VA hospitals to perform these abortions regardless of state pro-life laws. That meant a hospital in a state like Arkansas might perform abortions that would otherwise be illegal under state law.

Needless to say, the Biden Administration’s 2022 abortion rules were deeply flawed.

The VA’s new proposal says,

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to reinstate the full exclusion on abortions and abortion counseling from the medical benefits package, which was removed in 2022. Before that time, this exclusion had been firmly in place since the medical benefits package was first established in 1999. VA is also proposing to reinstate the exclusions on abortion and abortion counseling for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) that were removed in 2022. We take this action to ensure that VA provides only needed medical services to our nation’s heroes and their families.

This rule change would help protect women and unborn babies from abortion under the Department of Veterans Affairs. That is a major, pro-life victory.

The federal government has no business trying to overrule state pro-life laws or turn VA hospitals into abortion facilities. Family Council appreciates all of the pro-life leaders who have stood against these bad federal policies, and we appreciate the Trump administration’s decision to rescind President Biden’s flawed rules from 2022.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Despite Legalization, Illicit Marijuana Still a Problem in Many States

Marijuana

Recent news articles highlight how states around the country still wrestle with illicit marijuana despite legalization.

In Maine, The Portland Press Herald writes, “Law enforcement experts say cheap, sometimes tainted weed grown by Chinese criminal groups is getting into the state’s medical market.”

On August 19, California’s Department of Cannabis Control said it executed 17 search warrants across the state, seizing nearly $20 million in illicit drugs from a single site.

The DOJ has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in states like California, Maine, New York, and Massachusetts — despite legalization.

Unfortunately, marijuana products often carry serious health risks from pesticides — even when they are manufactured legally.

The marijuana plant itself easily absorbs toxins in the soil as well as chemicals or other substances sprayed on the plant. As a result, marijuana may contain pesticides, heavy metals, mold, or other contaminants.

These toxins are passed along into marijuana products — posing serious health risks for marijuana users.

Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that studies have found marijuana users have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections. These toxins can cause serious — or even life-threatening — illnesses.

Instead of decreasing crime, marijuana legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal drugs across America.

Some of these illegal marijuana operations are tied to labor trafficking, violent crime, and foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party.

Authorities in Arkansas routinely confiscate illegal marijuana grown in other states. Arkansas State Police patrol a “drug pipeline” along Interstate 40 from Oklahoma to Tennessee.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: States like Arkansas should think twice before considering any proposal to legalize marijuana.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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