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Oregon has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general challenging the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw abortion coverage from veterans and their families.
The New Rule Puts Veterans at Risk and Shifts Costs to States
Attorney General Dan Rayfield, together with 22 other attorneys general, has filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief arguing that the withdrawal of abortion coverage puts veterans’ health and finances at risk.
They argue that the rule leaves doctors guessing in an emergency, is stricter than many state abortion bans, keeps patients in the dark, and shifts costs to states.
Urging the federal appeals court to restore reproductive healthcare for veterans and their families, the AGs point to patients who received abortions during the first year of the VA policy introduced in 2022.
Of those patients, 73% had pregnancies that threatened their health, 17% were rape survivors, and 10% faced pregnancies that threatened their lives, according to data cited in the brief.
Tidings Data Snapshot
Why Patients Received VA Abortion CareFirst year of the policy introduced in 2022- 73.0%Pregnancies threatening health
- 17.0%Rape survivors
- 10.0%Pregnancies threatening life
Shares describe patients receiving abortions under the earlier policy, not all veterans or current demand.
Source: States’ November 6, 2026 amicus brief, page 9, citing first-year VA dataDailyTidings.com
Trump Administration Reversed Abortion Care for Veterans at the End of Last Year
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued its final rule reversing the earlier abortion-care policy on December 31, 2025.
The AGs argue that the rule creates uncertainty over emergency care, while shifting costs to patients and the states where they live.
The amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by the 23 AGs on November 6, 2026, asks the court to set aside the rule.
They argue that the lack of an express life-endangerment exception in the regulation governing veterans’ direct VA care creates ambiguity about whether veterans can receive the care they need.
The VA says in the rule’s explanatory text that lifesaving care remains available. The states argue that the regulatory wording still leaves patients and doctors uncertain.
Furthermore, the AGs argue that eliminating abortion counseling will deprive veterans and their families of the ability to make informed healthcare decisions.
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