WASHINGTON —

President Donald Trump's administration is calling to remove abortion coverage from the list of medical benefits for veterans and their families, saying it's not needed.

The Department of Veterans Affairs posted the proposed rule change on Monday and opened a public comment period on it that runs through Sept. 3. The department said in its proposal that it wants to ensure it “provides only needed medical services to our nation’s heroes and their families.”

The department says it would still provide abortion in life-threatening circumstances — something state laws allow, even in places where bans are in place. But critics of the change note that abortion would not be provided when pregnancies are the result of rape or incest.

Amy Friedrich-Karnik, director of federal policy

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