{"id":74060,"date":"2023-06-13T17:54:44","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T17:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/06\/13\/gop-budget-bill-would-ban-abortions-transgender-services-at-va\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:46:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:46:16","slug":"gop-budget-bill-would-ban-abortions-transgender-services-at-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2023\/06\/13\/gop-budget-bill-would-ban-abortions-transgender-services-at-va\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP budget bill would ban abortions, transgender services at VA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abortion procedures<\/a>, transgender surgeries<\/a> and LGBTQ Pride flags<\/a> would all be banned at Veterans Affairs medical centers under a budget bill adopted by House Republicans on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spending plan \u2014 which advanced on a party-line vote out of the House Appropriations Committee \u2014 also calls for a record $320 billion in veterans program spending next fiscal year, matching the White House\u2019s funding request<\/a> released earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more than 6% increase in new spending was not enough, however, to offset Democratic concerns about limiting department outreach efforts to women and minority groups, objections that are likely to be repeated when the measure reaches the Democratic-controlled Senate later this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis committee is wasting its time,\u201d said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., ranking member of the committee\u2019s panel on veterans issues. \u201cIt should be focused on issues that face the veterans community every day: ending veteran suicide, decreasing the claims backlogs, ensuring the VA can attract and retain clinicians. But we are instead focusing on non-issues to bow down to the demands of the far right wing of the Republican Party.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t