Tuberville Hails Trump Decision to Reverse VA Abortion Policy

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R‑AL) has strongly praised the Trump administration’s decision to roll back a Biden-era rule that allowed taxpayer‑funded abortion services at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tuberville, a long-standing critic of the policy introduced in September 2022, said the action marks a vital return to legal clarity and fiscal restraint. He had previously forced a bipartisan floor vote in April 2023, which narrowly failed by a vote of 48–51.

In his statement, Tuberville condemned the prior administration’s action as prioritizing a political agenda over proper care. He said:

“The Biden administration was more concerned with shoving their abortion-on-demand agenda down the throats of American taxpayers than they were about providing timely and quality care for our Veterans. Our Veterans have put their lives on the line for this country and deserve a VA that is 100% focused on getting them the best care possible. Finally, we have a President and a VA Secretary who are laser focused on taking care of our Veterans, not promoting woke politics. This reversal is a huge win for Veterans, American taxpayers, and the unborn.”

Under Biden, the VA added abortion counseling and consent-based abortion care in cases of rape, incest or risk to the mother’s life—across State lines, even where State laws forbade it. Trump’s proposed rule, announced in early August 2025, reinstates the pre‑2022 model under a 1992 law, which restricts abortions to life‑threatening cases only.

According to VA officials, the previous policy exceeded the Agency’s legal authority and departed from decades of bipartisan precedent. The Department noted that it had carried out only about 140 abortions per year under the now‑reversed rule.

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Republicans, including Chairman Mike Bost (R‑IL), issued a joint statement echoing Tuberville’s praise. They argued that the 2022 policy violated federal law and taxpayer wishes, and applauded Secretary Doug Collins’s leadership in restoring what they called common sense.

Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing back. Rep. Julia Brownley (D‑CA) plans legislation that would lock in abortion and counseling access for veterans, shielding it from future rule changes at the VA.

Advocacy groups warn the rollback could endanger health care access—especially in states where abortion is mostly banned—calling the move a betrayal of Veterans’ service and rights. More than half of female veterans live in States with tight abortion restrictions, making VA care a rare option in some cases.

The rollback is currently a proposed rule open to public comment through early September 2025.