Murray, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce CRA to Overturn Trump Administration Rule Ending Life-Saving Abortion Care for Veterans

Senators roll out Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Trump VA's new policy ending abortion care and counseling for veterans

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committeeand a former chair and senior member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Committee Democrats today introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Trump Administration's new rule ending abortion counseling entirely and abortion care for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health. This CRA follows a new final rule filed by the Trump Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to end VA's ability to provide these services to veterans.

"Trump's VA abortion ban is a profound betrayal of women who put their lives on the line for our country-ripping away access to abortion care even when a woman is raped or her pregnancy endangers her health. If the Trump administration thought they could quietly implement this extreme abortion ban and get away with it, they thought wrong-we won't stop being loud about this. Trump's policy not only rips away VA's already-limited ability to provide abortion care, but it gags VA providers from even talking to their veteran patients about their health care options. It does not get more extreme than this. I hope every Senator will join me in fighting to overturn Trump's abortion ban at VA and restore essential health care for our veterans," said Senator Murray.

In September 2022, VA began to offer abortion counseling to all pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries, and abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life or health endangerment of the veteran or CHAMPVA beneficiary. This was in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, which created urgent risks to the lives and health of pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries in states that banned or otherwise severely restricted access to abortion.

Prior to the publication of the final rule, the Trump Department of Justice issued a memo banning this abortion care and counseling at VA, and the Trump VA issued its own internal memo implementing this new policy immediately. This follows the Trump VA's announcement in August of its intent to issue this change in a proposed rule.

More than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care, and more than 112,000 women of reproductive age are enrolled in CHAMPVA. More than half of these women live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions.

"The Trump VA's new policy's primary purpose is to prevent women who are victims of rape or incest or whose health is at risk from receiving abortion care. We cannot let the Trump Administration deprive women veterans of essential health care so they can score cheap political points. Our Congressional Review Act resolution aims to overturn this cruel, misguided action. If my Republican colleagues really believe in protecting women veterans who have been raped or whose health is at risk, they can prove it- simply support this resolution," said Ranking Member Blumenthal.

"The Trump administration seems hellbent on abandoning our veterans by withholding lifesaving health care. But Senate Democrats will not let this happen without a fight," said Leader Schumer. "The rule by the Trump administration is just another cruel step toward their clear, extreme goal of a national abortion ban, an idea that is way out of step with the American people. This CRA gives senators the opportunity to support the health and safety of the servicemembers who sacrifice to keep our country safe," said Leader Schumer.

In addition to Senators Murray, Blumenthal, and Schumer, the joint resolution is cosponsored by SVAC Committee members U.S. Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

The CRA is also endorsed by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Vet Voice Foundation, Minority Veterans of America, Common Defense and twelve other organizations dedicated to protecting the rights and freedoms of our nation's veterans, including Modern Military Association of America, Service Women's Action Network, Reproductive Freedom for All, National Partnership for Women & Families, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Rights, Guttmacher Institute, National Council of Jewish Women, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Power to Decide.

The full text of the CRA resolution can be found HERE.

Advocating for women veterans and their access to reproductive health care has also 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 last 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 last year, citing-among other things-the failure to include her provision to expand IVF care for servicemembers and veterans. Senator Murray slammed the Trump administration's initial move to ban abortion care at VA in August, and sounded the alarm again in December when the Trump administration quietly implemented a near-total abortion ban at VA.

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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