Judy: In the aftermath of
overturning roe V. Wade,
Democrats are urging president
Biden to use executive action to
protect and expand abortion
access.
A group of military veterans
argue that the administration
could expand access and care.
It is an idea with potentially
big impact.
The V.A. Is the largest
integrated health care system in
the country.
It has 1300 facilities and
serves as the primary provider
of more than 600,000 female
veterans.
Laura Lopez has been reporting
on this idea and she joins me
now.
You have been doing a lot of
reporting on this.
What is it that these veterans
and Democrats are asking?
Reporter: They are asking
president Biden to direct
veterans affairs to provide
abortion services and abortion
counseling.
Those are things the V.A. Does
not do at all and they believe
they have the authority to do
that via executive action.
I talked to Amy Mcgrath, a
retired marine lieutenant
colonel.
And she is pushing the white
house on this.
Here is what she had to say
about the obligation she thinks
the government owes to these
veterans.
>> If the V.A. Doesn't step up
in these states, then the
federal government is not taking
care of those of us, veterans,
who fought for our country and
fought for our rights.
And now just had a basic right
taken away.
Reporter: I also spoke to
congresswoman Julia brown.
She told me that she is also
pushing the white house and the
administration on this.
Since the decision came down,
she has been speaking repeatedly
to V.A. Secretary Dennis Mick
Anna and has been asking him to
move forward on this.
Judy: What have you learned what
the administration thinks about
this?
Reporter: Secretary Dennis
Mcdonough has talked about this
with congress as recently as
April.
Before the decision came down.
He said our statute would allow
us to provide abortion services.
We do not provide abortion
services pursuant to rule
making.
Today, I asked white house press
secretary what she had to say
about the comments as well as
whether or not the white house
was going to pursue executive
action.
>> The V.A. Continues to offer
reproductive health care
services to their veterans as
well.
Current regulation doesn't allow
for the V.A. To provide
abortions.
We will continue to review every
possible option to protect
women's rights.
Reporter: The white house is
being very cautious right now
because of the fact that they
are concerned about potential
legal challenges.
And also, what we know about
president Biden is that someone
who was a member of the senate
for so long, he prefers congress
to take action first before he
goes the route of executive
action.
Judy: Many of these executive
actions people are proposing to
the white house could face legal
challenges.
What do we know about the legal
challenges this could face?
Reporter: The short answer is
that it is probably going to
happen simply because almost
everything that the president
does will be challenged given
the nature of the supreme court
decision and the creativity that
the white house may be pursuing.
The Republicans have a 1992 law,
it prohibits the veterans
affairs department from
providing abortions.
That 1992 law is so narrow in
its language and what it
specifically provides to the
V.A. That it does not apply to
what the V.A. Had or subsequent
authority bestowed upon the V.A.
And so the lawyer told me that
they think the V.A. Could
potentially move forward with
this and have a strong legal
case.
We also spoke to Patrick Murray
who is a legal affairs director
for the veterans of foreign wars
and he supports one element of
what these Democrats and
veterans are pushing.
He says his organization
believes the V.A. Has the
authority to provide abortion
counseling.
That they don't need to change
any law to do that and it is
something they can do via
rulemaking.
But again, Judy, a lot of this
will end up in the courts.
Judy: Knowing these challenges
are coming, why are these
advocates pushing so hard?
Reporter: We are talking about
executive actions.
To get to this point means
almost every other option has
been exhausted.
The supreme court handed down a
very big decision reversing roe
V. Wade.
There is no bipartisanship in
congress that would push forward
a lot to codify roe V. Wade.
What the president is left with
is his executive authority and
that is what Democrats are
arguing with him.
Julia Brownley also added that
she thinks that it would help
the president score some
political points with his base
as well as independent women,
independent voters.
She essentially said the white
house should not be worried
about the legal challenges and
should simply pursue these
actions.
Judy: Laura Lopez on top of the
story, thank you so much.
Reporter: Thank you.