Senate Democrats defeat GOP resolution to stop VA from providing abortions

April 19 (UPI) -- Democrats in the U.S. Senate have voted down a Republican resolution that sought to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from providing abortion services.

Lawmakers cast their ballots mostly along party lines Wednesday, rejecting the bicameral S.J. Res. 10 in a 51-48 vote.

The resolution was introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to nullify a final rule issued in early September to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion counseling and abortions to veterans whose life or health is at risk due to pregnancy or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

Abortion has been expressly prohibited from VA medical benefits under the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992. But the department's secretary, Denis McDonough, introduced the new rule as Republicans sought to restrict abortion nationwide after the conservative-leaning Supreme Court revoked federal protections for the medical procedure with its overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling.

Republicans and Democrats held dueling press conferences prior to the vote Wednesday. Republicans argued the Biden administration needed to go through Congress to implement such a rule. Democrats accused Tuberville of harming the rights of veterans.

"This is about taxpayer dollars," Tuberville said during his press conference inside the Capitol. "The administration is spending money Congress never authorized and never appropriated. We're supposed to have an appropriations process in this city. Yet, the Biden administration seems to think they don't need to follow the appropriations process."

Outside on the Capitol steps, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., chastised Tuberville to reporters for pushing legislation he said would strip the freedom of choice from hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families.

"The hard right is telling our veterans that they'll be treated as second-class citizens -- and we say, no way, no way, no way!" Schumer said, surrounded by other members of his party, veterans and reproductive health advocates. "Despite everything our veterans have given to our country, it's outrageous, it's wrong and it ain't gonna happen, not as long as I'm leader.

"Here's the bottom line: they protect our freedom -- we should protect their freedom of choice, plain and simple."