Trump administration sued by veterans group over VA abortion ban
Key takeaways
- The lawsuit was filed in the U.S.
- The 2022 Biden administration policy allowed abortions for those who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest or if a pregnancy endangered the life and health of the person seeking an abortion.
- The VA in December quietly reimplemented the ban following a memo authored by Joshua Craddock, deputy assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice s Office of Legal Counsel, issued Dec.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The Minority Veterans of America said it brought the lawsuit on behalf of all its members harmed by the ban, including one pregnant member who has chronic medical conditions and a long history of pregnancy complications and needs access to abortion care and counseling to protect her health.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act when the VA revoked a Biden-era legal opinion that allowed the VA to provide limited abortion counseling and services to pregnant veterans and their beneficiaries, including those who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest.