WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – A nurse practitioner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is suing the federal agency over a rule change to begin committing abortions at taxpayer expense, which she was told lacks a process for accommodating religious objections.
In September, the DVA put out a new rule adding abortion to U.S. military veterans’ covered medical benefits, supposedly “because it has determined that providing access to abortion-related medical services is needed to protect the lives and health of veterans,” regardless of whether abortion is legal in the state in which a VA facility resides.
Republican lawmakers and pro-life groups noted that the rule was a violation of federal law prohibiting it from offering abortions.
Now, Fox News reported that First Liberty Institute is representing Army veteran and nurse practitioner Stephanie Carter in seeking a preliminary injunction against the rule’s enforcement in Texas, arguing that the Biden administration disregarded both the rulemaking process established by the Administrative Procedure Act and the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992’s express ban on abortion “services” at VA facilities.
Carter says she sought a religious accommodation but was told there was “no process” to review accommodation requests. She also fears that if she complied she could be prosecuted under Texas’s heartbeat-based abortion ban.
DVA press secretary Terrence Hayes denied that in a statement to Fox, claiming it “does provide accommodation for VA employees who wish to opt out of providing abortion counseling or services,” and is “currently honoring exemption requests that come through VA supervisors.” Hayes declined to elaborate at length, citing ongoing litigation.
“This is another instance of the Biden administration ignoring the law, and, in this instance, forcing health care workers at VA facilities to violate their consciences,” said First Liberty attorney Danielle Runyan, who is also an Air Force reservist. “They didn’t care to take notice or comment before the rule was implemented to understand that there are many employees out there who have these concerns. The rule doesn’t account for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It doesn’t take into account religious conscience. It says nothing about that. So it’s just another instance where First Amendment and RFRA rights are being ignored and that just can’t be.”
The issue brings together two of the most controversial aspects of Joe Biden’s presidency: abortion-on-demand and further infusing left-wing ideology into the U.S. Armed Forces.
The White House has advocated writing a “right” to abortion into federal law via legislation to forbid states from enacting even modest abortion regulations and has promoted taxpayer funding of abortion at home and abroad.
As for the military, the Biden administration’s efforts have included reversing the Trump administration’s ban on gender-dysphoric service members, a review of “extremism” in the ranks as defined with input from left-wing groups, COVID-19 vaccine mandates that have intensified concerns about personnel shortages, having military branches formally celebrate “Pride Month,” and allowing drag shows on military bases.