Senate Republicans had a shot at successfully passing a vital resolution in the Democrat-controlled upper chamber that would protect Americans from funding abortions. Instead of allying with their own on an issue that has set the GOP apart from the left for decades, however, at least two of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s closest allies sided with Democrats’ radical abortion agenda when they voted 51 to 48 not to proceed with the legislation.
Most Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions yet both Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska publicly committed to opposing the resolution that would stop the Biden administration’s latest attempt to force abortion costs on U.S. constituents.
These are the same Republicans who cast doubt on Lindsey Graham’s federal abortion ban even though it would have finally brought the U.S. up to speed with the type of restrictions other civilized countries already have and what American voters, including some Democrats, want.
With their no votes, collins and Murkowski threatened the GOP and Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin’s last chance to prevent a rule violating federal law forcing Americans to fund abortions without Congress’ consent and threatening healthcare workers’ conscience rights from becoming regulation.
“Again, this is not about Dobbs. This is not about Roe [v.] Wade. This is about an illegal rule to spend taxpayer dollars on abortion,” Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama warned at a press conference on Wednesday.
Mere months after the Supreme Court decided decisions about abortion belong to the states, the Biden administration’s Department of Veteran Affairs announced an interim final rule that would give its hospitals permission to offer abortion to veterans and VA beneficiaries.
The rule, which the VA decided would bypass the notice and comment procedures required for rulemaking, quickly sparked backlash from 12 Senate and 26 House Republicans who noted that the scheme is not only illegal under current federal law but harmful to men, women, and unborn babies.
“The VA has refused to cooperate with Congress throughout this whole process,” Tuberville said from the Senate floor on Wednesday night, noting that Congress was unaware if the VA planned to enact any abortion restrictions.
Tuberville already successfully stonewalled the nominations and promotions of more than 100 civilians, generals, and flag officers to punish the Department of Defense for using taxpayer dollars on paid time off and travel for U.S. military members and their family members who want abortions.
History shows that pro-life is a winning issue, but Congress, with the help of squish Republicans, failed to protect Americans when they voted against their wishes.
“Instead of providing our heroes with the care and resources they deserve, the Biden administration is breaking state and federal laws to turn VA clinics across the country into taxpayer-funded abortion centers – even in more than a dozen states with strong protections for unborn babies and their mothers on the books. Most Americans find this abhorrent,” SBA Pro-Life America’s Vice President of Government Affairs Hon. Marilyn Musgrave said in a statement.
