When a senate committee voted last week to send President Trump’s nomination to head the Veterans Administration to the full senate for confirmation vote, the lone dissenter was Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii. What were the reasons for her “no” vote?
Sen. Hirono said Doug Collins plans for the VA were “not in line” with what she believed was right for veterans across the country.
Her concerns included the fear that Collins, a former congressman from Gainesville, might get rid of the Biden administration rule that allows the agency to provide abortions to veterans if a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or when the life of a pregnant woman is at risk.
“It is something that has been looked at here as what the law actually says, and the original law from 1992 says the VA does not do abortions. Two years ago, that was a decision that was looked at and decided. I will tell you this: We will be looking at that issue when I get in there to confirm that the VA is actually following the law,” Collins responded.
The full Senate is expected to vote on his nomination this week.