A group of House Republicans sent a letter Thursday to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sec. Denis McDonough demanding he immediately rescind the VA’s new rule that provides abortion services through the VA healthcare system.
The letter, first obtained by the Daily Caller, was spearheaded by Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde and Texas Rep. Michael Cloud, and signed by 43 other House Republicans. The VA announced in early September it will begin providing abortion counseling and abortions to Americans who qualify for VA services.
The rule would make it so VA healthcare workers will be able to perform abortions even in states in which they are illegal.
In the letter, the lawmakers call out McDonough’s “misguided decision is using taxpayer dollars to conduct this heinous action, which is a direct attack on the consciences of countless Americans, and goes against decades of precedent prohibiting taxpayer funded abortions.”
“The VA should be focused on providing timely, high-quality care to our nation’s veterans, not murdering precious citizens with taxpayer dollars,” Clyde told the Caller before sending the letter. “If Secretary McDonough refuses to rescind this reprehensible and unlawful rule, Congress must swiftly hold the Biden Administration accountable for this unprecedented overreach and abuse of power.” (RELATED: Veterans Affairs Hospitals To Begin Providing Abortion Services For First Time Ever)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“President Biden is again attempting to twist the law to his will by illegally authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion services,” Cloud told the Caller. “The VA should remain committed to providing critical care to support the lives of our veterans, not be another last ditch attempt by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer-funded abortions.”(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Clyde, House Republicans Introduce Legislation To Block Future OSHA Vaccine Mandates)
The Daily Caller contacted the VA about the letter to which VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes released the following statement:
“VA has received the joint congressional letter led by Congressman Clyde relating to the Interim Final Rule published Friday in the Federal Register. VA will carefully review and consider all submissions, including this congressional letter, received during the 30-day public comment period,” Hayes told the Caller in his statement.
“Regarding the basis for this Interim Final Rule, I’d simply echo the previous statements from Secretary McDonough and Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal. This is a patient safety decision. We came to this decision after listening to VA health care providers and Veterans across the country, who sounded the alarm that abortion restrictions are creating a medical emergency for those we serve. Offering this care will save Veterans’ health and lives, and there is nothing more important than that,” Hayes added.