Washington D.C., Jun 15, 2023 / 16:00 pm
House Republicans advanced legislation that would prevent Veterans Affairs facilities from performing abortions in most cases, block funds for sex-change drugs, and establish religious freedom protections.
The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee included these provisions in a defense spending bill, which provides more than $317 billion in funding for the Department of Defense (DOD). They were added through amendments proposed by Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, and approved on a party-line vote 34-27.
Some of the amendments are meant to circumvent new policies created by Veterans Affairs, such as the Interim Final Rule that allows abortion in some cases, and its decision to provide patients with hormone therapy and prosthetics to help facilitate sex changes.
“Not only was the VA new [abortion] regulation contrary to current law, it also was a significant change from current policy practice,” Carter told committee members. “This is something that should be handled by Congress, not by the executive branch and that department or through any interim regulation.”