“The women and men who served our country, to defend innocent life, deserve quality health care and supportive resources, not the violence of abortion,“ said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in response to a proposed rule published by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Monday.

The statement from USCCB leadership comes after the VA released a proposed rule that would return to an earlier policy regarding abortion coverage for veterans and their dependents. In 2022, changes were made to allow abortion services under VA health benefits for both veterans and their civilian dependents. The new proposal seeks to reverse those changes and reinstate the previous policy that excluded abortion from covered benefits.