ICYMI: Tuberville in National Review: Biden’s Effort to Politicize the Department of Veterans Affairs Is Unacceptable

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in National Review about how President Biden's Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is using taxpayer dollars to facilitate abortions in government facilities. In the piece, Senator Tuberville argues the VA has lost sight of its mission and is prioritizing a far-left agenda over caring for veterans. Earlier this month, Senator Tuberville introduced the VA Abortion Transparency Act to establish accountability for Americans on how their tax dollars are being used to bankroll Joe Biden's progressive agenda.

Read excerpts below or the full op-ed here.

More than 150 years ago, President Lincoln signed a law establishing a home to care for wounded soldiers. On March 3, 1865, a month before the Civil War ended, the world's first government institution solely dedicated to caring for honorably discharged volunteer soldiers was created. Subsequent presidents continued to build on Lincoln's legacy by establishing state veterans' homes, providing medical and hospital care, and enrolling veterans in insurance and disability programs. All of these efforts eventually led to President Reagan's official establishment of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 1988.

The VA is one of few agencies in the federal government that has largely stayed above the political fray. Even during times of political upheaval, the U.S. has continued its tradition of prioritizing care for the men and women who have sacrificed for our country.

Unfortunately, President Biden's VA has lost sight of its core mission. Veterans, many of whom experience notoriously long wait times to receive care through the VA, now grapple with an administration that prioritizes a progressive agenda over their benefits.

Two years ago, President Biden's VA announced it would begin facilitating taxpayer-funded abortions at VA medical centers and through community-care providers in direct violation of a 1992 law that explicitly prohibits the VA from doing so. While members of Congress have submitted numerous inquiries seeking data surrounding the implementation of the new policy, the VA has refused to answer basic questions such as the number of abortions facilitated through the VA, the methods through which the abortions are being conducted, the number of gestational weeks at which point the abortions are occurring, or even how much this new policy is costing the American people. President Biden and VA officials have evaded questions long enough. That's why, last week, I introduced the VA Abortion Transparency Act, a bill that requires the VA to issue quarterly reports to Congress about how taxpayer dollars are being used to facilitate abortions.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time the VA has prioritized Joe Biden's woke agenda over providing timely and quality care to veterans. In 2017, under President Trump, Congress passed the bipartisan VA Accountability Act, which gave VA supervisors the authority to fire 4,000 VA employees who were not doing their jobs. Last year, as part of a settlement agreement, the VA announced that the agency would issue job offers and back pay to nearly every employee who had been fired. This is an absolute disgrace - and a slap in the face to our veterans who deserve the best care our country has to offer. Sadly, this decision from the VA is just one of many in which veterans are not put first under President Biden."

BACKGROUND:

On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced its intention to begin providing abortion services for veterans and their dependents through the taxpayer-funded VA health care system. This is a blatant violation of Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services.

On October 11, 2022, Senator Tuberville joined 38 of his congressional colleagues in a letter to Secretary McDonough opposing the VA's rule.

On February 8, 2023, Senator Tuberville led a group of more than 65 colleagues in introducingthis bicameral joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reverse the VA's abortion rule. The resolution failed to advance for a final vote, 48-51. Two Republicans voted with the majority of Democrats to block the Senate from voting on final passage of the legislation. Senator Tuberville also delivered a floor speech urging his colleagues to support the resolution.

On April 16, 2024, Senator Tuberville introduced the VA Abortion Transparency Act to impose new abortion reporting requirements on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create more transparency for taxpayers. The VA reported in October 2023 that from September 9, 2022 to September 30, 2023, the agency facilitated 88 abortions. The VA has refused to release updated data regarding additional abortions facilitated since this last report, despite multiple congressional letters requesting the data.

As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Tuberville believes taxpayers deserve to know how the VA is using its resources. Among several data requests, Senator Tuberville's legislation would mandate quarterly reports on the total number of abortions facilitated through the VA, the method through which the abortions are being conducted, and the number of gestational weeks at which point the abortions are occurring.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs, and HELP Committees.

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