Rep. Vasquez Calls on VA Secretary to Protect Access to Abortion for American Heroes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to halt all efforts to roll back access to reproductive health services, including abortion care for veterans.

“America’s veterans deserve our utmost respect, and it is unconscionable that they are facing barriers to reproductive healthcare,” Vasquez said. “Abortion is healthcare, period. I will not stand by as medical treatment is being stripped away from veterans who served our nation to protect these rights.”

The letter to Secretary Collins opposes the VA’s attempt to rescind the March 2024 rule entitled “Reproductive Health Services,” which was initially put in place to ensure the VA fully upholds its obligation to promote veterans' health and provide the comprehensive care they’ve earned. 

This letter by Vasquez follows a long record of opposing restrictions to reproductive care for military members. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, he led the charge in getting restrictions on abortion removed from the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

You can find the text of the letter to Secretary Collins here.

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