U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX), along with more than 65 colleagues, introduced a bicameral joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to nullify an illegal US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule that provides abortion services through the taxpayer-funded VA health care system. The CRA gives Congress the authority to review major rules issued by federal agencies. If Congress disapproves of a rule via resolution, the rule will have no force or effect under the law.
“Taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund abortions,” Sen. Mullin said. “Period. I was proud to support Senator Tommy Tuberville’s resolution to fight the Biden VA’s overreaching illegal rule providing unrestricted, taxpayer-funded abortions. As the father of six amazing children, three of whom came into our lives through the blessing of adoption, the fight to preserve the dignity of life is a personal one. In the Senate, I will always fight to protect the most voiceless among us – the unborn.”
The VA published the interim final rule in September 2022, just a few months after the Supreme Court issued its decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and return the decision to legislate on abortion to the American people through their elected representatives. Not only does the rule set up VA medical facilities to blatantly violate state laws, it’s also in clear conflict with Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which explicitly prohibits the VA from providing abortion services. Notably, the rule also extends abortion services to certain veterans’ dependents and fails to provide any conscience protections for VA medical staff.
The resolution is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro Life-America, March for Life, National Right to Life, CatholicVote, Heritage Action, and Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Thune (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).