[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VA PROVIDES ABORTIONS AT TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE
(Mr. ROSENDALE asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, as a direct result of the Dobbs decision,
which was recently handed down by the Supreme Court, the VA issued an
``interim final rule.'' The VA states that they are ``taking this
action because it has determined that providing access to abortion-
related medical services is needed to protect the lives and health of
veterans.''
The VA expects to provide about 1,000 abortions per year at
taxpayers' expense. The Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 prohibits the
VA from providing abortion, and no law from Congress has ever changed
that.
So now we have two problems. The VA is providing abortions with
taxpayer dollars, and medical professionals being forced to perform
these procedures against their will.
The VA states ``employees may request an accommodation to a work
requirement based on religious belief.'' However, almost no religious
exemptions were honored for vaccinations, and 60,000 Army reservists
were separated for refusing the vaccine.
How many VA doctors will be released for refusing to perform
abortions?
Why are taxpayers being forced to pay for the VA to perform abortions
in clear violation of the 1992 law?
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