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A coalition of six state attorneys general requests a meeting with federal officials over the potential rollback of a VA reproductive health rule. (Photo: Lyons VA Medical Center, Bernards Township, New Jersey)
3-31-2025 2:54pm
NJ Joins Multistate Effort Urging Trump Administration to Preserve Abortion Access for Veterans
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a coalition of six attorneys general in formally requesting a meeting with top Trump Administration officials to express concerns over a possible rollback of a federal rule that grants abortion-related healthcare access to veterans and their families.
The group, which includes attorneys general from California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, addressed its letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. The letter urges the administration to maintain the “Reproductive Health Services” Rule, which was finalized by the VA on March 4, 2024, following a public comment period.
This VA rule authorizes abortion counseling for all pregnancies and permits abortion services in cases where the life or health of the patient is at risk, or when a pregnancy results from self-reported rape or incest. According to the coalition, the rule provides critical access to reproductive healthcare for veterans, a population that includes roughly 2 million women in the United States—42% of whom are of childbearing age and use VA healthcare services.
The request for a meeting follows recent indications that the Trump Administration is reviewing the rule and has conducted private discussions with various stakeholders. In response, the attorneys general emphasized the medical and legal significance of the rule, especially in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and triggered widespread changes to abortion laws across the country.
“Veterans who have served our country deserve access to quality health care across the board, and that includes reproductive and abortion care,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Unfortunately, we have significant concerns about the fate of the VA’s rule allowing veterans access to critical reproductive health services. It’s critical that President Trump’s appointees understand the importance of reproductive health care to our veterans and the severe hardships that would result from blocking their access to these vital medical services. We’ll do everything in our power to prevent the cruel rollback of these key regulations.”
In their letter, the attorneys general noted that since the Dobbs decision, at least 19 states have imposed bans or restrictions on abortion access. They argued that the VA rule helps address a significant gap in healthcare for veterans and their families by ensuring access to services already available to many civilians.
They also stressed that delays in abortion care, particularly in emergency situations such as pregnancy complications, can pose serious risks to a patient’s life or health. The letter further highlighted that veterans experience higher rates of sexual trauma than the general population, reinforcing the importance of providing abortion services in cases involving rape or incest.
Originally announced as an interim rule on September 2, 2022, the policy was met with support from several state attorneys general. Platkin previously joined a coalition of 23 AGs in submitting a formal comment letter in October 2022 supporting the VA’s reproductive healthcare expansion.
The six-state coalition has requested a meeting “at the soonest possible date” to discuss the rule’s importance to families in their jurisdictions. No response from the administration has been reported as of this time.
