(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - This week the Trump-Vance Administration implemented a new policy-quietly rolling back abortion access for veterans, their eligible family members, and caretakers. The previous policy permitted Veterans Affairs (VA) counseling and coverage of abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life and health endangerment. This change comes before the VA has even finalized a proposed regulationthat would ban abortion coverage and counseling.

In response, Power to Decide interim Co-CEO and Vice President, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Rachel Fey, issued the following statement:

"This is a heartless and spiteful policy. Abortion is currently banned in 13 states and severely restricted in an additional 7 states, often at points so early that people don't even know they are pregnant. The result is that abortion is already out of reach for those with the fewest resources, often people of color, those with lower incomes, and those in rural areas. Now the Trump-Vance Administration wants to add veterans to that list - many of whom struggle to make ends meet and depend on their hard-earned VA benefits.

There are nearly 300,000women veterans of reproductive age who rely on the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) for health care, who will be denied necessary medical care, even in the worst of circumstances.

"This needlessly cruel policy is detrimental to our veterans who served our country and deserve the full health care they have earned. Power to Decide strongly condemns this move and urges policymakers to act to protect and expand access to abortion for all people, including veterans and their families."

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Power to Decideis a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all by providing trusted information, expanding access to quality services, and catalyzing culture change.