The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. June 17, 2025 Report: New Rules Allow VA Doctors to Refuse to Treat Democrats, Unmarried Veterans ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Guardian is reporting health workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs could refuse treatment to patients who are Democrats, unmarried, or based on their national origin, due to the VA's revised bylaws. Those were changed to conform with President Trump's anti-trans executive order, according to the report, and the new guidelines also apply to hiring practices, effectively allowing for employment discrimination. The White House has denied the report. The VA is the country's largest integrated hospital system, with over 26,000 doctors and serving 9 million patients each year. .