Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Coalition in Requesting Meeting with Trump Administration Officials to Express Concerns Over Potential Rollback of Abortion Care for Veterans and their Families

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today led a coalition of six attorneys general in sending a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought requesting a meeting on a federal rule that provides veterans’ and their families’ access to vital reproductive health services. The rule at issue, “Reproductive Health Services” (the Rule), permits the VA medical benefits package and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) to provide abortion counseling for all pregnancies and abortion services in situations where the patient’s life or health is threatened and in cases of self-reported rape or incest. The Trump Administration has indicated it is currently reviewing the Rule and has held meetings with other stakeholders on the Rule. 

“My fellow attorneys general and I are requesting a meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins and OMB Director Vought because we strongly believe that our veterans and their families deserve access to necessary healthcare services — including abortion care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Day after day, members of our military community make extraordinary sacrifices, and we are concerned that the Trump Administration may be taking action to eliminate or rescind the important protections provided by this Rule. Especially in cases of rape, incest, and when the life or health of the woman is at risk, we firmly agree with the vast majority of Democrats and Republicans that abortion care is critical.”

On September 2, 2022, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the VA announced the interim version of the Rule. On October 11, 2022, Attorney General Bonta led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a comment letter supporting the VA’s efforts to increase reproductive freedom. After receiving public comment, the VA finalized the Rule on March 4, 2024. Since the Dobbs decision, at least 19 states have banned or restricted abortion care, while others are still proposing new restrictions.  

In the letter, the attorneys general write that: 

• The Rule fills a significant gap in healthcare for an important population, offering veterans and their families access to the same healthcare services available to many civilians. Of the 2 million women veterans in the United States, 42% use VA healthcare and are of childbearing age.
• Many pregnancy and miscarriage complications are emergency medical conditions requiring time-sensitive stabilizing treatment that can include abortion. In an emergency, any failure to provide, or delays in providing, necessary abortion care puts the pregnant patient’s life or health at risk.
• Permitting abortion where a pregnancy is the result of self-reported rape or incest, particularly given the prevalence of sexual violence resulting in pregnancy, is vitally important. Sexual violence is far too common in our culture and has pervasive physical and mental health consequences, which are often exacerbated by a resulting pregnancy. Veterans report higher rates of sexual trauma than their civilian peers.
• Ensuring access to abortion counseling is part of patient-centered care, which builds trust among providers and patients.
• In order to more fully outline the importance of the Rule to families in our States, we request a meeting with our staff at the soonest possible date.

Joining Attorney General Bonta in sending today’s letter are the attorneys general of Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington. 

A copy of the letter can be found here. General background on OMB meetings can be found here.