Biden threatens VA budget veto over abortion, gender-affirming care
By Leo Shane III
Jun 4, 2024, 01:56 PM
President Joe Biden threatened to veto the House's $360 billion VA appropriations plan due to its restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care services. (Alex Brandon/AP)
President Joe Biden on Monday threatened to veto the House’s $360 billion appropriations plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs next year over restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming care services included in the measure, accusing lawmakers of “wasting time with partisan bills.”
The threat marks the second consecutive year White House officials have opposed the House’s initial draft of the Veterans Affairs budget over social issues. The measure is expected to pass the House largely along party lines later this week.
In a statement released by the White House, officials blasted the appropriations bill as “harming access to reproductive healthcare, threatening the health and safety of LGBTQI+ Americans, endangering marriage equality, hindering critical climate change initiatives, and preventing the administration from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/06/04/biden-threatens-va-budget-veto-over-abortion-gender-affirming-care/
