Rep. Somani Condemns VA Restrictions on Reproductive Healthcare; Trump Administration Attacks Continue

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today condemned a directive from the Department of Justice (DoJ), terminating the ability of Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) facilities to provide abortion services–even in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening emergencies. Not only does this policy place political decision making over an individual’s freedom to access healthcare resources, but it restricts potentially vital care for those who have served our country.

“As a nation, we have an obligation to ensure that our veterans, who have bravely served and sacrificed for our country, receive the highest standard of healthcare, including comprehensive reproductive services. As physicians, and particularly OBGYNs, we have an obligation to ensure that our patients receive evidence-based care that is free of political restrictions,” said Rep. Somani.

63% of Americans support access to safe and legal abortion care. In 2023, 57% of Ohioans voted to protect access to reproductive healthcare in the Ohio Constitution, and countless states have expanded protections since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

“Abortion access has broad support across party lines, yet restrictions continue to put patients at risk. Serious complications and deaths related to pregnancy, including women being forced to carry nonviable pregnancies, have been happening across the country for years—even before the Dobbs decision,” continued Rep. Somani. “The difference now is that timely access to abortion care is no longer guaranteed. We must restore support for veterans and other patients navigating reproductive care, because as physicians, we have an obligation to do no harm.” 

This statement was originally published in a press release for Doctors for America condemning this attack on reproductive care. This press release can be found here.