Executive Branch Lawlessness Must be Stopped

April 19, 2023 | Washington, D.C.

Eagle Forum Statement on the Senate’s Failure to Advance CRA to Reject the Veterans Affairs Department Abortion Services Rule

Eagle Forum President Kristen A. Ullman released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass S. J. Res 10 to protect life and halt the Veteran’s Affairs Department's rewriting of federal law:
 
This evening, the United States Senate failed in its duty to support and defend the Constitution by voting to allow the Executive Branch of the government to usurp the role of the Legislative Branch.  How pathetic that 51 men and women who were elected to the Senate would so callously and carelessly give up their right to be legislators by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to rewrite a law that Congress duly passed. 
 
The Senate rejected a motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 10, sponsored by Sen. Tuberville (R-AL), that would employ the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the Veteran Administration’s Interim Final Rule (IFR) on “Reproductive Health Service” that went into effect on September 9, 2022. The IFR permits the VA to provide and perform abortions, contrary to current federal law that prohibits the VA from providing abortion services under Section 106 of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992.
 
The new rule would essentially allow for abortion on demand until birth at VA clinics and suggests that VA employees can disregard state laws that protect unborn children by stating that they may not be held liable under state or local law for “performing their Federal duties.” In addition, the rule does not include any conscience protections for medical professionals at the VA who object to participating in abortion. Eagle Forum objects to this radical and unprecedented change in VA policy.
 
By rejecting S.J. Res 10, these 51 Senators in effect declared that they do not want to be the ones responsible for writing laws for the United States of America. If these Senators do not want to do the job of the legislator and are happy to leave the creating of policy to unelected bureaucrats, perhaps they should resign their seats and allow the American people to elect those who are interested in fulfilling their Constitutional obligations.