Senator Murray Statement on Trump Administration Quietly Banning Abortion Care for Veterans & Families

Approximately 300,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care, 155,000 live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions

Senator Murray, longtime leader on reproductive rights and veterans issues, grilled Secretary Collins on preserving access to abortion care at VA during his nomination hearing in January

ICYMI FROM AUGUST: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Ripping Away Access to Abortion Care for Women Veterans Who Were Raped or Whose Health is in Danger

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, released the following statement on the news that the Trump administration has quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), banning abortion care for veterans and their dependents-even when a woman's health is in danger, or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) memo issued last week, which regional VA leaders were told to comply with in an internal directive Monday, (screenshots here and here) shows the Trump administration is making this shift before VA even finished finalizing a proposed rule regarding this policy change and without allowing any public comment or consultation. Senator Murray forcefully condemned the Trump administration's initial move to ban abortion at VA facilities in August-the new DOJ memo is a workaround by the Trump administration to implement their VA abortion ban even sooner, and as of this week, the policy is now fully in effect at VA facilities across the country.

The policy is a near-total ban on abortion care at VA, with only an exception for care when "a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term"-and no exceptions for the health of the veteran or for rape or incest. The policy also bans VA providers from even discussing abortion with their veteran patients-even in life-threatening situations. There are approximately 300,000 women veterans of reproductive age who are enrolled in VA health care, and VA estimates that over 155,000 of them live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions. Senator Murray pressed VA Secretary Doug Collins at his nomination hearing in January on whether he would eliminate access to abortion care at VA for veterans who are victims of rape, and he refused to give a straight answer.

"This backdoor move by the Trump administration to impose a near-total abortion ban at VA is an outrageous assault on veterans' health care and a profound betrayal of veterans who have put their lives on the line for our country," Senator Murray said. "VA already prohibits abortion care except in incredibly limited circumstances-this change goes even further, blocking women veterans whose health is in danger, or who are survivors of rape or incest, from getting the basic care they need. It's shameful and indefensible."

"Over the past year, Trump and Republicans have shown they will do everything in their power to restrict abortion access so they can ultimately ban abortion nationwide. President Trump can pretend all he wants that he supports exceptions for rape and incest, but the reality is that his administration is right now banning abortion care in exactly those circumstances," Murray continued.

"The Trump administration may think they can quietly rip away women veterans' health care and avoid accountability-they are wrong. I will never stop speaking out against Republican attacks on reproductive freedom or fighting back to protect veterans' health care."

Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee-and advocating for women veterans and their access to reproductive health care has been a longtime focus for Senator Murray. Senator Murray called on VA to provide abortion care to veterans early in the Biden administration, and she applauded the Biden administration's announcement later in the year that would begin to provide abortion care for veterans and their eligible dependents to protect the health and life of the individual and in cases of rape or incest. Murray has helped lead the charge in calling out Republicans for their attacks on, and attempts to undo, this limited and commonsense policy. Senator Murray also leads the Veteran Families Health Services Act, comprehensive legislation that would expand fertility treatments-including IVF-and family-building services for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance, and she has sought unanimous consent to pass the legislation on multiple occasions. She introduced new legislation this summer with Senator Duckworth to help cover IVF costs for servicemembers and military families-and slammed Speaker Johnson from working behind the scenes to strip an amendment mirroring that legislation from the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Murray voted against the NDAA earlier this month, citing-among other things-the failure to include her provision to expand IVF care for servicemembers and veterans.

Senator Murray is also a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court's disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Last January, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Murray led her colleagues in hosting a "State of Abortion Rights" briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans, and last June, she chaired a HELP Committee hearing titled "The Assault on Women's Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America." Murray helped lead efforts to force Republicans on the record on votes to protect access to contraception and access to IVF (twice), and she led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration would pose to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025. At a forum Senator Murray held at the beginning of this year on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Senator Murray spoke about Republicans' plan to institute a backdoor nationwide abortion ban, including by defunding Planned Parenthood.

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