Advocacy group sues Trump administration over access to abortion for veterans
Source: AP
By RUSS BYNUM
Updated 7:16 AM CDT, May 22, 2026
An advocacy group has filed suit against the Trump administration over its decision to reinstate a near-ban on abortions for veterans and their family members who depend on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for healthcare.
The federal lawsuit filed Thursday says the rule finalized by the VA on Dec. 31 takes away limited abortion access that was crucial for the health, autonomy, and equality of veterans and their family members.
Attorneys for the group Minority Veterans of America want the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to throw out the rule. They say the VA adopted the change without citing medical evidence or other justifications, violating the Administrative Procedures Act that governs federal rulemaking.
The VA did not include abortion in its coverage until 2022. President Joe Bidens administration added it months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and states abortion bans began taking effect.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-ban-veterans-va-lawsuit-a08c77a3710fd933d3ce6ed4e3104c93