Veterans group focuses on progressive issues, reproductive care
VoteVets is the largest liberal veteran and military group in the country
Following a weekend in which we celebrated Memorial Day, it’s important to note that a significant number of those who served support reproductive rights. One group, VoteVets, is the nation’s most prominent progressive veteran and military organization. Much of the work they do focuses on birth control, abortion and other matters related to that.
Mary Kaszynski, director of government relations, described their work as focused on everything from foreign policy to domestic issues like the economy to social issues like abortion.
Veterans know better than anybody else the importance of protecting American freedom,” Kaszynski said. “They signed up to serve and protect our country. We hear consistently from the veterans in the VoteVets network that (they) didn't fight to protect freedoms abroad to come home and have (their) freedoms taken away here.”
The VA hospital system has been under fire from conservatives for permitting abortions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's health is at risk in states where it is illegal to perform the procedure. Previously it hadn’t done it under any circumstances. It’s also allowed time for travel for reproductive care and abortions in other situations.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville has led the opposition to the decision. He has sought to hold up military promotions to protest it.
Conservatives also criticized the Department of Defense for sending out a memorandum titled, “Ensuring Access to Reproductive Care,” which established a new policy that provided travel allowances for abortions in other circumstances.
“If female service members are stationed in a state where there is an abortion ban or other restrictions that make it impossible for her to access necessary reproductive services, there is a more generous leave policy, allowing her to leave the state and be reimbursed for travel,” Kaszynski said.
Her organization’s members are concerned about what a Republican presidency would mean for reproductive care.
“This has an extremely negative impact on our national security in the military and the veterans' community,” Kaszynski said of possible changes to abortion policy. “It's unAmerican. It is an attack on American values and on our armed forces.”