Preventing taxpayer-funded abortion isn’t radical
Kimberly Ross
Republicans in the House of Representatives last week voted to accept a new budget bill that calls for an increase in spending for veterans and related programs. The bill also calls for a ban on abortions at Veterans Affairs medical centers. According to congressional Democrats, this is extreme. In the post-Roe era, it is anything but.
As reported by Military Times, “Under language adopted in the budget bill, all abortions at VA medical centers would be halted, except in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening complications.” This is a reasonable offer. That is especially true in light of the claims made by abortion proponents who demand access to abortion mainly by arguing that women’s lives are at stake. Still, Democrats such as Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) have the nerve to contend such a measure is radical.
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“This committee is wasting its time,” said Wasserman Schultz, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee’s panel on veterans issues. “It should be focused on issues that face the veterans community every day: ending veteran suicide, decreasing the claims backlogs, ensuring the VA can attract and retain clinicians. But we are instead focusing on non-issues to bow down to the demands of the far right wing of the Republican Party.”
There is nothing “far right” about protecting unborn life. It is not extreme to ensure taxpayer funds don’t go to pay for elective abortions at VA medical centers. Yes, veterans deserve the best when it comes to reducing suicide risk, quality and availability of care, and the like. It is possible to address all of the pertinent issues that relate to veteran care while standing firm on the issue of elective abortions.
There is no reason elective abortions should be granted to anyone whose medical care is funded by taxpayers. This includes veterans. Our country treats those who serve in the armed forces with the utmost respect, and pro-life measures that ban abortion procedures except in rare cases do not conflict with this goal.
The Republican Party would be remiss if it ignored the existence of elective abortions at VA medical centers in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision. If the party wishes to remain serious about the abortion issue, it can’t coast on the decision of five justices on the Supreme Court. The decision to overturn both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey was never meant to bring any lasting resolution beyond the limitations of the ruling. The abortion issue remains contentious, and in many ways, the conflict has become more explosive.
Among GOP voters, the feelings about abortion exceptions range from allowing the kind included in the spending bill to allowing none at all. Children conceived through rape and incest are not less than and deserve the most basic right, the right to life. Circumstances of conception do not confer worth. The most reasonable exception concerns life-threatening complications. The mother’s life is just as important as the life of the unborn child. Still, bringing both of them safely through pregnancy is the goal. But Democrats view these basic considerations as extremist.
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The ban on abortions at VA medical centers will most likely be shot down by a Democratic-controlled Senate. But Republicans must not abandon the commitment to the pro-life cause even as the fervor over reproductive care continues nationwide.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.