The Biden administration Monday threatened to veto a bill that would fund military construction projects along with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for fiscal year 2025, in part due to what it calls “devastating consequences” for abortion access.
In a statement, the White House Office of Management and Budget said it “strongly opposes” H.R. 8580.
Passed by the House Appropriations Committee on May 23 with a 34-25 vote, the legislation allocates more than $147 billion for the VA and military construction projects. While the Biden administration voiced its opposition to multiple facets of the bill, one of its objections is to a provision that it says would restrict the VA’s ability to offer abortion and abortion counseling. In recent years, the VA has expanded abortion access by permitting abortions if the woman’s life or health is thought to be in danger, or in cases of rape or incest. “This change would prevent VA from providing needed care when the health of the woman is endangered,” the White House said. Despite these claims, the intentional killing of a preborn child via an induced abortion is not medically necessary.
The administration’s statement went on: “Similar to last year, H.R. 8580 includes numerous, partisan policy provisions with devastating consequences, including harming access to reproductive healthcare, threatening the health and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Americans, endangering marriage equality, hindering critical climate change initiatives, and preventing the administration from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
It is unclear why funding Veteran’s Affairs should include items promoting abortion, marriage “equality,” climate change, or other things not related to true support and aid for America’s active military personnel and veterans.
House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Biden’s veto threat. “The Biden Administration’s veto threat sends a terrible signal to our nation’s allies and adversaries alike,” Johnson said.
He added, ‘The President’s push toward radical and woke policies is a continuing threat to our national security. His agenda is changing the focus of our military, undermining our readiness, and rejecting the promises made to our veterans. He must reverse course so we can again prioritize America’s strength and safety.”
