In the sweltering days of early August 2025, America’s ongoing battles over reproductive rights and veterans’ health care collided in ways that few could have predicted just a few years ago. From the halls of Congress to small-town clinics, the intensity of debate and the pace of legislative change have left many Americans—veterans, women, and health care providers alike—struggling to keep up and make sense of what’s next.
On the federal stage, the Trump administration’s recent moves have drawn sharp lines in the sand. As reported by Mother Jones, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has proposed scrapping nearly all abortion services for veterans and their families, limiting access strictly to life-threatening emergencies and cases of rape. This would represent the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation, a fact made even more significant considering that women are the fastest-growing group of veterans in the U.S., and more than half of women veterans of reproductive age reside in states with anti-abortion laws.
The proposal has sent shockwaves through the veteran community. Many women who have served now face the prospect of losing what little reproductive care they could previously access through the VA. The move comes in tandem with another pivot: after campaigning on a promise to make in vitro fertilization (IVF) free, the Trump administration has quietly abandoned the plan. According to The Washington Post, pressure from extremist anti-abortion groups has redirected White House focus to so-called “restorative reproductive medicine”—a term critics argue is little more than a pseudoscientific smokescreen for avoiding support of IVF while claiming to address infertility.
It’s not just federal policy in play. Across the country, anti-abortion activists and legislators have ramped up efforts to restrict access to abortion pills, particularly those delivered by mail. In early August, two separate letters—one from 40 Baptist leaders organized by the Family Research Council and another from the Alabama Citizens Action Program—urged former President Trump to invoke the Comstock Act, an obscure 19th-century law, to ban the shipping of abortion pills. This push comes hot on the heels of a letter from sixteen Republican attorneys general to Congress, calling for the repeal of shield laws that protect doctors in pro-choice states who mail abortion pills into states where abortion is banned.
According to Teen Vogue, anti-abortion groups like Live Action have been instrumental in shaping the national agenda. At least ten so-called “Baby Olivia” bills, which require public schools to show students anti-abortion propaganda videos, were introduced after lawmakers attended a Live Action-hosted event. It’s a sign of how deeply organized activism has become entwined with legislative efforts at every level of government.
Meanwhile, the ripple effects are being felt most acutely on the ground. The Guardian reported that the Tennessee attorney general’s office has subpoenaed four large medical groups, demanding sweeping records of all abortions performed under the state’s narrow medical emergency exception. The subpoenas don’t just seek patient records—they demand every “document and communication” related to those procedures, from emails to calendar entries. Critics say this is part of a broader move to create what some are calling “reproductive police states,” making hospitals even more hesitant to provide life-saving abortions, even when permitted by law.
Louisiana has also made headlines with two new extreme anti-abortion laws that took effect in early August. One law allows residents to sue out-of-state doctors who mail them abortion pills, while another broadens the definition of “coerced abortion,” potentially criminalizing a wider range of people. The consequences have been swift: both of the state’s remaining Planned Parenthood centers announced they will close by September 30, citing escalating funding attacks by the GOP. For many in underserved communities, these centers represented a last lifeline for basic health care.
Oklahoma, too, is testing the waters with a new requirement proposed by Governor Kevin Stitt: health providers must sign an anti-abortion loyalty oath to retain state funding. The details remain murky, but the intent is clear—states are being used as laboratories for increasingly aggressive reproductive policies.
Amidst all this, the needs of veterans—especially in rural areas—remain a pressing concern. As KFF Health News reports, about 9 million veterans are enrolled in the VA health system, with roughly 3 million, including 1.2 million rural veterans, using their benefits for non-VA care last year. Yet, the process for accessing that care is anything but simple. John-Paul Sager, a Marine Corps and Army veteran from Iowa, described the cumbersome process of securing VA approval for private chiropractic care. “It seems like it takes entirely too long,” Sager told KFF Health News, explaining how repeated phone calls and paperwork can discourage veterans from seeking the care they need.
Legislation spearheaded by Republicans in Congress aims to address these challenges. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) has introduced a bill that would allow veterans living within 35 miles of a rural “critical access” hospital to use their VA benefits there without the need for VA staff approval. Cramer, whose state has just one VA hospital located in Fargo—over 400 miles from some residents—said, “I kept thinking to myself, ‘This doesn’t make any sense at all.’”
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) has also played a key role, helping secure a $34.7 billion budget for the community care program in 2026—a 50% increase from 2025 and 2022. The Senate has approved similar figures in its military spending budget. The goal, according to supporters, is to make it easier for veterans, especially those in rural areas, to access timely care at local hospitals and clinics.
But not everyone is convinced. Critics like Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, warn that shifting too much funding to private care risks weakening the VA’s specialized services. “We must prevent funds from being siphoned away from veterans’ hospitals and clinics, or VA will crumble,” Takano said. Veterans’ advocacy groups echo these concerns, emphasizing the need to maintain the VA as the primary provider while still making it easier for veterans to find care—especially for rural and female veterans, who often face the steepest barriers.
Private clinics, too, are feeling the strain. Linda Gill, office manager at Vanderloo Chiropractic Clinic in Park River, North Dakota, described the VA’s community care paperwork as burdensome but said the clinic remains committed to serving veterans. “After what they’ve done for us? Please,” she remarked, underscoring the deep gratitude felt by many providers.
As the Trump administration and Congress continue to reshape the landscape of veterans’ health care and reproductive rights, the stakes couldn’t be higher. For millions of Americans, these policy debates are not abstract—they are matters of life, health, and dignity. The coming months will reveal whether lawmakers can find common ground or whether the nation’s divides will only deepen further.