Last week, I wrote about President Biden’s shameless exploitation of two active-duty servicemen for political purposes at his divisive address in Philadelphia. Now, his administration wants to subject the entire Veterans Affairs Department (VA) to the same inapposite treatment.
On Friday, the VA announced it was planning to provide abortion services to female veterans in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in jeopardy. While these are standard exceptions to the pro-life position, irrespective of the policy considerations, the timing of this pronouncement is curious, to say the least.
Less than three months after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Biden administration seems intent on eviscerating as many protections for the unborn as possible. The new VA abortion services will be available even in states that have outlawed the procedure, a clear warning shot aimed at pro-life lawmakers. This is an attempt to subvert the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion by taking the issue out of state legislatures’ hands, which is what the Dobbs ruling intended to restore. The Hyde Amendment still bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except in the three circumstances in which the VA will be offering the procedure. But this does not mean that pro-lifers can rest easy.
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden promised to work to repeal the Hyde Amendment if elected. On two occasions, his administration has neglected to include the legislative provision in its budget proposals. The lesson for the pro-life movement is to remain vigilant. It may have scored a major victory in Dobbs, but the battle for what a post-Roe America looks like has just begun.